Using the initial $25 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funds made available to each of the 24 states that applied for funding, agencies in New Mexico, Texas, and Pennsylvania, among others, are putting crews to work plugging orphan wells.

Pennsylvania: Just Getting Started

The first oil well in America was drilled in Pennsylvania, over 160 years ago. So, it’s no surprise the Keystone State has the most documented orphan wells in the nation — nearly 28,000. Pennsylvania expects to seal 235 of those orphan wells in 2023.

In a symbolic gesture both to the birthplace of the nation’s oil industry and the kick-off of the BIL’s orphan well initiative, U.S. Dept. of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited Pittsburgh last month, where the state’s first 10 wells are being sealed this year. Secretary Haaland, in a speech delivered next to an orphan well in Ohio Township, PA, urged states to get busy sealing wells, and “get the best bang for their buck.”

Texas: Off to the Races

The Lonestar State continues to lead the way in sealing orphaned wells. With a goal of plugging 1,000 orphan wells in 2023, the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) has overseen an estimated 128 sealed orphaned wells with BIL funding and plans to plug up to 800 wells by the end of the fiscal year.

An additional 200 orphan wells are slated to be sealed under the state’s Managed Plugging Program, which helps prioritize orphan wells based on safety factors and environmental protection concerns.

New Mexico: Going Strong

The Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) in New Mexico paid crews to seal 23 orphan wells since the fall of 2022, using federal funds. The agency estimates that sealing these wells prevented the release of 46,000 kilograms of methane into the atmosphere over a given year—the equivalent to carbon dioxide emissions from driving 2.85 million miles in a gasoline-powered car.

With BIL funds, EMNRD plans to seal at least 200 orphan wells throughout the state in 2023, most of which are located in the San Juan and Permian Basins. Over the past five years, New Mexico sealed about 206 orphan wells using state funds.

Orphan Wells: At a Glance

Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Texas fill out the top five states with the most orphaned oil and gas wells, behind Pennsylvania. The table below shows recent statistics for 14 states with the most documented orphaned wells.

2023 Data for States Receiving BIL Funds

Currently, there are about 131,220 documented orphan wells at known locations across 26 states. The U.S. Dept. of the Interior estimates about there may be as many as 3.3 million undocumented orphan wells nationwide.

Sealed Well for Tomorrow

For over 160 years, America’s oil and gas industry has supplied the nation and the world with resources to fuel the global economy. Today, we understand that responsible energy development is not only about streamlining production, but also cleaning up after the fact. And because of this understanding, we know that our children and grandchildren can enjoy America’s treasured landscapes like the generations who came before, while we continue to develop our nations natural resources to create a better future.

What’s Your State Doing? Contact BioSqueeze using the form below or email info@biosqueeze.com and share info on your state or region’s orphan well action.