The oil and gas (O&G) industry in the U.S. has experienced rapid growth in recent years, largely due to advanced extraction methods like fracking. This boom has significantly increased production and exports. However, it has also left behind thousands of abandoned oil wells across the country, a legacy of heightened extraction activity dating back to the 1980s.
There are two main types of unused oil wells: abandoned wells and orphaned wells. Abandoned wells are known to the managing companies, which have chosen to stop operations. In contrast, orphaned wells are no longer in production, and their managing companies are either out of business or unknown. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, orphaned wells pose serious environmental hazards. They can pollute water sources and emit harmful gases like methane, contributing to public health risks. These wells can also be affected by natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes, further endangering local ecosystems.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates there are around 4 million abandoned oil and gas wells across 27 states. Of these, more than 117,000 are classified as orphaned, meaning no responsible company is monitoring their environmental impact. Many of these wells have been abandoned for decades, making them hard to locate due to overgrown vegetation and difficult terrain. For example, in West Virginia, thousands of orphaned wells remain undocumented alongside at least 6,500 that are known. In Texas, the Railroad Commission estimates there are about 8,500 inactive wells that still need to be capped, although experts believe the true number is much higher.
The risks associated with orphaned wells are escalating. Many of these wells date back to World War II and the 1980s. They were sealed with steel and cement, but corrosion from contaminated water and oil has compromised these materials. Some previously capped wells are now leaking due to ineffective sealing. The recent fracking boom, which uses wastewater to fracture rock, may also pressurize old wells, increasing the risk of explosions.
One major challenge in addressing orphaned wells is the cost. Plugging an abandoned well can exceed $100,000, and if the sealing fails, costs could soar to $2 million due to required cleanup efforts. Columbia University estimates that capping 500,000 wells—around 15% of the total—could exceed $24 billion. Although the companies responsible for these wells should manage the costs, many are unknown or bankrupt, shifting the financial burden to the U.S. government.
The dangers posed by orphaned wells extend to both environmental and public health. Oil leaks can contaminate groundwater, while methane emissions are a significant contributor to climate change. Communities near these wells face health risks, as 4.6 million people live within half a mile of an abandoned well. Water testing by the San Antonio Testing Laboratory found that every liter of sampled water contained 0.05 milligrams of benzene, a highly carcinogenic substance found in oil.
To combat this issue, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated over $4.7 billion to address orphaned wells. However, this funding falls short of the total estimated costs for properly capping documented wells.
In addition to increased investment, monitoring efforts must improve. The Interior Department suggests that states monitor up to 5% of wells plugged with federal funds, but few comply. Dwayne Purvis, an advisor at Purvis Energy Advisors, emphasizes the need for vigilance, stating, “We know that our cement is brittle, that steel can corrode, and that the risk of failure increases over time.” New technologies, such as drones and artificial intelligence, could enhance the detection and monitoring of orphaned wells.
In summary, orphaned wells represent a growing environmental crisis in the United States. Increased research, funding, and effective monitoring are essential to mitigate the potential public health and environmental impacts of these abandoned sites.
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