Orphan Wells: Focus on Innovation

In mid-July 2024, the DOE announced its intent to support research and development (R&D) of technologies that effectively characterize undocumented orphan wells (UOWs) and provide options for remediation. The funding is purposed (via the National Energy Technology Lab and Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management) boost cost-effective UOW evaluation and remediation solutions for rapid commercialization.

Potential funding will target the following areas of interest (AOIs):

• AOI 1 — Advanced Remediation Techniques for UOW Boreholes
  • Innovative/advanced remediation materials to address a range of UOW conditions while minimizing surface disturbances
• AOI 2 — UOW Wellbore Characterization
  • Surface-applied technologies (no wellbore entry required) for characterizing wellbore conditions and determining appropriate unconventional plugging and abandonment (P&A) techniques for unique situations
• AOI 3 — Long-Term UOW Monitoring
  • Cost-effective, long-term UOW methane emissions monitoring techniques and technologies (pre- and post-P&A measurements).

Qualifications & Requirements

To be considered for project demonstration and validation, companies must identify:

• Industry partner(s)
• Well site location(s)
• Duration of operational activity
• Labor hour commitment estimate
• Expected tasks framework (ensuring safe/effective field operations)

Solutions must offer a wellsite profile that aligns with current federal decarbonization goals and supports UOW emissions mitigation into the future. The NOI was issued to provide applicants time to create proposals and build partnerships in preparation for the anticipated funding opportunity announcement.

Leveraging Technology: Cost-Effective P&A

Advanced technologies and solutions exist to address the challenges of permanently sealing wellbores to eliminate methane emissions, but greater adoption is needed. Current P&A regulations favor cement as the primary solution for both plugging and sealing leaks as it has been around longer than new technologies and is well understood. While cement is great for straightforward P&A (setting zonal isolation plugs in the wellbore), better options exist for sealing leaks.

A particularly effective new solution for sealing leaks in orphan wells is the Deep Penetrating Annular Surface (DPAS™) BioSqueeze®, a rigless solution that permanently seals leaks by healing hundreds to thousands of feet of cement. The solution has been proven in a variety of challenging situations and has been adopted by leading orphan well programs including the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (Link to Cleveland, OH Case Study).