Range Resources Corp. agreed to pay a $294,000 fine to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for failing to properly classify over 40 inactive conventional oil and gas wells.

Penn Department of Environmental Protection

DEP said the company applied for inactive status for the Shirocky No. 1 well in Fayette County in September 2017, indicating that it planned to return the well to production at a future date. However, regulators said Range included conflicting interoffice communication with its application indicating the well had no viable future use. 

Pennsylvania requires that inactive wells meet various criteria, including being viable for use within five years. If the wells are no longer viable and haven’t produced for 12 consecutive months, they’re required to be classified as abandoned and...