(a) General rule.--Upon abandoning a well, the owner or operator shall plug it in the manner prescribed by regulation of the department to stop vertical flow of fluids or gas within the well bore, unless the department has granted inactive status for the well or it has been approved by the department as an orphan well. If the department determines that a prior owner or operator received economic benefit, other than economic benefit derived only as a landowner or from a royalty interest, after April 18, 1979, from an orphan well or an unregistered well, the owner or operator shall be responsible for plugging the well. In the case of a gas well penetrating a workable coal seam which was drilled prior to January 30, 1956, or which was permitted after that date but not plugged in accordance with this chapter, if the owner or operator or a coal operator or an agent proposes to plug the well to allow mining through it, the gas well shall be cleaned to a depth of at least 200 feet below the coal seam through which mining is proposed and, unless impracticable, to a point 200 feet below the deepest mineable coal seam. The gas well shall be plugged from that depth in accordance with section 13 of the act of December 18, 1984 (P.L.1069, No.214), known as the Coal and Gas Resource Coordination Act, and the regulations of the department.

(b) Areas underlain by coal.--Prior to the plugging and abandonment of a well in an area underlain by a workable coal seam, the well operator or owner shall notify the department and the coal operator, lessee or owner and submit a plat, on a form to be furnished by the department, showing the location of the well and fixing the date and time plugging will commence, which shall be not less than three working days, nor more than 30 days, after the notice is received, to permit representatives of the persons notified to be present at the plugging. Notice and the right to be present may be waived by the department and the coal operator, lessee or owner, but waiver by the coal operator, lessee or owner shall be in writing and a copy shall be attached to the notice of abandonment filed with the department under this section. Whether or not representatives attend, if the well operator has fully complied with this section, the well operator may proceed, at the time fixed, to plug the well in the manner prescribed by regulation of the department. When plugging has been completed, a certificate shall be prepared and signed, on a form to be furnished by the department, by two experienced and qualified people who participated in the work setting forth the time and manner in which the well was plugged. One copy of the certificate shall be mailed to each coal operator, lessee or owner to whom notice was given by certified mail and another shall be mailed to the department.

(c) Abandoned wells.--Prior to abandonment of a well, except an uncompleted bore hole plugged immediately upon suspension of drilling in an area not underlain by a workable coal seam, the well operator shall notify the department of the intention to plug and abandon the well and submit a plat, on a form to be furnished by the department, showing the location of the well and fixing the date and time at which plugging will commence, which shall be not less than three working days, nor more than 30 days, after the notice is received, to permit a department representative to be present at the plugging. The notice or waiting period may be verbally waived by the department. In noncoal areas where more than one well has been drilled as part of the same development project and the wells are now to be plugged, the department shall be given three working days' notice prior to plugging the first well of the project, subject to waiver of notice described in subsection (b). In the plugging of subsequent wells, no additional notice shall be required if plugging on the project is continuous. If plugging of subsequent wells is delayed for any reason, notice shall be given to the department of continuation of the project. Whether or not a representative attends, if the well operator has fully complied with this section, the well operator may proceed, at the time fixed, to plug the well in the manner prescribed by regulation of the department. When plugging has been completed, a certificate shall be prepared, on a form to be furnished by the department, by two experienced and qualified people who participated in the work setting forth the time and manner in which the well was plugged. A copy of the certificate shall be mailed to the department.

(d) Wells abandoned upon completion of drilling.--If a well is to be abandoned immediately after completion of drilling, the well operator shall give at least 24 hours' notice by telephone, confirmed by certified mail, to the department and to the coal operator, lessee or owner, if any, fixing the date and time when plugging will commence. Notice and the right to be present may be waived by the department and the coal operator, lessee or owner, if any. Whether or not representatives of the department or coal operator, lessee or owner, if any, attend, if the well operator has fully complied with the requirements of this section, the well operator may proceed, at the time fixed, to plug the well in the manner provided by regulation of the department. The well operator shall prepare the certificate of plugging and mail copies of the same as provided in subsection (b).

(e) Orphan wells.--If a well is an orphan well or abandoned without plugging or if a well is in operation but not registered under section 3213 (relating to well registration and identification), the department may enter upon the well site and plug the well and sell equipment, casing and pipe at the site which may have been used in production of the well in order to recover the costs of plugging. The department shall make an effort to determine ownership of a well which is in operation but has not been registered and provide written notice to the owner of pending action under this subsection. If the department cannot determine ownership within 30 days, it may proceed under this subsection. Costs of plugging shall have priority over all liens on equipment, casing and pipe, and the sale shall be free and clear of those liens to the extent that the cost of plugging exceeds the sale price. If the amount obtained for casing and pipe salvaged at the site is inadequate to pay for plugging, the owner or operator of the abandoned or unregistered well shall be liable for the additional costs.

(f) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term "owner" does not include the owner or possessor of surface real property, on which an abandoned well is located, who did not participate or incur costs in and had no right of control over the drilling or extraction operation of the abandoned well.

Cross References. Section 3220 is referred to in sections 3203, 3211, 3214, 3233, 3234, 3252, 3259 of this title.