14,000 unplugged wells in Gulf waters

More privatized profit and socialized risk. Down with regulation

Companies that own oil and gas wells are supposed to plug them at the end of their useful life, though exact rules vary depending on which state a well is in and whether it’s under federal or state control. In practice, though, plugging often doesn’t happen. Some companies leave inactive wells idle in the hopes of recommissioning them later; others transfer ownership or simply walk away.



Across the region studied, the researchers found far more unplugged inactive wells than active and producing wells, particularly off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas. Earlier research led by Mary Kang at McGill University found that 3 in 5 wells ever drilled in the U.S. (both on land and offshore) are now inactive, but only a third have been permanently plugged and abandoned.

Many states have programs designed to tackle orphaned wells, but “when you look at the amount of funding available relative to the amount of orphan wells, what you see is historically, it hasn’t been enough to keep up,” says Gregory Upton Jr., an associate research professor at Louisiana State University and a co-author on the Nature Energy study.

Last year, the Biden administration set aside $4.7 billion for a new federal program to address orphan wells, including $1.8 billion earmarked for states. But the researchers’ findings make clear how much more money will be needed, particularly if the U.S. continues a transition away from fossil fuels.




Study finds that Gulf of Mexico has a $30B unplugged oil well problem
Study finds that Gulf of Mexico has a $30B unplugged oil well problem - Tampa Bay Times

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This was also in the piece:

Left unplugged, nonproducing wells can continue to release “things that in large quantities are not good for ecosystems or human health,” says Mark Agerton, an assistant professor of agricultural and resource economics at the University of California at Davis and co-author of the study. “We don’t want those things in our drinking water or on the ground next to us or in our food.”

 

100%. Three years behind you in being able to unironically play the Beatles' tune. Worry for my daughter and theoretical potential grandchildren