U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Malone #1 FPN E12314

 
Site Contact:
Michael Towle
On-Scene Coordinator

(towle.michael@epa.gov)

Site Location:
near Griffen Road
Schultz, WV 26170
 response.epa.gov/maloneFPN12314

This Site is the location of an abandoned and leaking oil well in Pleasants County, West Virginia. The well is discharging oil to threaten Cow Creek which is a tributary of the Ohio River. WVDEP and EPA conducted a search for potentially Responsble Parties and planned removal actions to address the threat of discharge of oil to the navigable waters of the United States. Oil Removal activities were initiated in August 2012. Removal activities are now complete and the Site is restored. POLREPS are posted in the documents section of this page.


restoration of the access road was ceased at the gate to the property owner's land; evident here access road, reclaimed with stone equipment utilized for reclamation WVDEP's contractor's loading equipment for demobilization from location access road leading to west, away from well location monument, API # welded 47-073-2547-P culvert installed for site access, on southern end of access road culvert installed for Site access, on northern end of access road to well view from the top of the access road plugging operations with cement materials recovered from the wellbore plugging fluids to date, contained Rig, re-set on the well WVDEP's contractors work on re-setting the rig on the well WVDEP's contractors use timber to raise and secure the rig Five inches of rain over the weekend caused the rig to sink WVDEP's contractors contine work with the cherry picker Repaired cherry picker WVDEP's contractor repairs the cherry picker by sanding it with a wire brush Larger chunk of wood recovered from the wellbore Fluids recovered from the wellbore with the sand pump WVDEP inspectors discuss how to proceed with the contractors Damage to the cherry picker from unknown materials in the wellbore View of the rig and collection pit Larger wooden chips recovered from the wellbore Rig operations; utlization of sand pump Collection of oil from the wellbore WVDEP's contractor utilizing sand pump in an attempt to recover materials in the wellbore WVDEP's contractor changing drilling tools Metal and wood chips recovered from the wellbore Portion of the wooden plug recovered from the wellbore Materials recovered from wellbore: wood, chips, and clay Materials recovered from the sand pump, mostly sandy clay Tank on site for containment of fluids Pit constructed to contain oil from the wellbore Wellbore Rig set-up on location Access road constructed to the well location, on surface owner's property road through the property is shown at the crest of the hill; photo taken from the edge of the woods where the subject well is located View from the hillside on the property. the subject well is located to the lower left, just at the edge of the woods line. Drainage from the hillside and any discharge from the oil well flows towards Cow Creek, located behind the trees shown in the left side of the photo. subject well with oily fluids and bubbling gas at the surface WVDEP and OSC on site conducting an assessment of the well and location