Range Resources controversies

Pennsylvania DEP fines Range Resources $294,000

Fine or penalty

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection fined Range Resources $294,000 after finding that the company improperly requested inactive status for 42 wells between 2013 and 2017 and submitted inaccurate information to the state.

Pennsylvania wastewater-impoundment penalty

Range agreed to pay a $4.15 million penalty concerning alleged violations at six Marcellus drilling and hydraulic-fracturing wastewater impoundments in Washington County, including alleged soil and groundwater contamination.

Oklahoma royalty underpayment settlement

Range agreed to an approximately $87.5 million settlement of claims that royalties on Oklahoma natural-gas sales had been underpaid.

Pennsylvania property-damage settlement and confidentiality dispute

Range reached a $750,000 settlement with a Pennsylvania family alleging that oil and gas development damaged its farm. Later court-record litigation focused on the agreement’s confidentiality provisions and language concerning the family’s children.

Pennsylvania royalty underpayment settlement

The company settled a class action alleging improper reductions in royalty payments, paying $1.75 million and agreeing to changes in its royalty program.

Parker County drinking-water contamination dispute

The EPA issued an emergency order alleging that Range’s drilling contributed to methane contamination in two residential wells in Parker County, Texas. Range denied responsibility and argued that the methane originated naturally from a shallow formation. The order was withdrawn in 2012 after groundwater monitoring arrangements, while a later Inspector General report found the EPA’s actions reasonable.

Brush Creek hydraulic-fracturing-fluid spill

A spill in Washington County, Pennsylvania, was associated with aquatic-life damage and resulted in a state penalty. Range attributed the event to a faulty elbow pipe and said it changed suppliers, equipment design, and procedures.