The Orphan Wells Project conducts research on orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells across the nation to better understand the extent of methane emissions and ongoing risks to groundwater contamination. The goal of this research is to provide information that can support prioritizing orphan wells for plugging, and repurposing wells for uses such as new hydrocarbon production, carbon capture and storage, and geothermal energy.
Orphan wells benefit no one, they waste natural resources, contaminate water, and pose a threat to the environment. Orphan well research directly supports efforts to preserve natural resources and create new jobs across the nation. This research seeks to identify the sources of methane emissions from orphan wells and better understand the factors that contribute to the highest emitters through identifying the geologic sources and well integrity factors of orphan wells.
Recorded AAPG Academy: Orphan Wells, Part 2 presentations. Nick Gianoutsos' presentation starts at at 31:27 (link)
Hart Energy article "URTeC: One Solution to Orphaned Wells? Consider Adopting"
Measurements of Water Quality Constituents in Groundwater Within 1 Mile (1.61 km) of Orphaned Wells in the United States
United States Documented Unplugged Orphaned Oil and Gas Well Dataset
Geologic sources and well integrity impact methane emissions from orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells
Analysis of the United States documented unplugged orphaned oil and gas well dataset
Groundwater Quality Data for Orphaned Well Decision-Making
United States Documented Unplugged Orphaned Oil and Gas Well (DOW) Dataset Viewer
The Orphan Wells Project conducts research on orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells across the nation to better understand the extent of methane emissions and ongoing risks to groundwater contamination. The goal of this research is to provide information that can support prioritizing orphan wells for plugging, and repurposing wells for uses such as new hydrocarbon production, carbon capture and storage, and geothermal energy.
Orphan wells benefit no one, they waste natural resources, contaminate water, and pose a threat to the environment. Orphan well research directly supports efforts to preserve natural resources and create new jobs across the nation. This research seeks to identify the sources of methane emissions from orphan wells and better understand the factors that contribute to the highest emitters through identifying the geologic sources and well integrity factors of orphan wells.
Recorded AAPG Academy: Orphan Wells, Part 2 presentations. Nick Gianoutsos' presentation starts at at 31:27 (link)
Hart Energy article "URTeC: One Solution to Orphaned Wells? Consider Adopting"