DEP: Conventional Wells Had 3 Times The Violations Of Unconventional Wells In 2014

The Department of Environmental Protection Thursday issued its 2014 Oil and Gas Annual Report which reported conventional oil and gas wells had three times the violations of unconventional wells and nearly three times the number of enforcement actions during 2014.

The report is a summary of important policy and regulatory developments, notable accomplishments achieved during 2014 and a glimpse of what to expect from DEP during 2015.

DEP Secretary John Quigley said in the introduction to the report, “This annual report delivers the Governor's goal of providing both enhanced transparency and integrity in the way that the DEP operates.”

Among the highlights from 2014 are--

-- Number Of Violations: 412 violations resulting in 140 enforcement actions from 11,265 inspections of unconventional wells; 1,449 violations resulting in 337 enforcement actions from 12,489 inspections of conventional wells;

-- Well Permits Issued: 3,203 unconventional wells, down from the peak of 3,630 in 2011; 1,269 conventional wells, down from 2,258 in 2011;

-- Wells Drilled: 1,372 unconventional wells (17 were Utica Shale wells), down from the peak of 1,960 in 2011; 791 conventional wells, down from 1,272 in 2011;

-- Radiation Study: Completion of the Comprehensive Oil and Gas Development Radiation (TENORM) Study;

-- Integrity Assessments: Quarterly mechanical integrity assessments of wells;

-- GIS Mapping: Finalized interactive oil and gas GIS map;

-- E-Well Permitting: Full launch of e-well permitting for oil and gas wells;

What’s Next?

-- Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force;

-- Proposed Changes to Subchapters D, E and H of Chapter 78;

-- Update Water Supply Complaint Tracking System;

-- Monthly Production Reporting; and

-- Revised Methane Capture Standards.

A copy of the report is available online.

Analysis: Myth-- Conventional Oil And Gas Drilling Is Benign