In coordination with the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and in response to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) produced a documented unplugged orphaned oil and gas well dataset (called the DOW dataset hereafter) that contains the location and status of these wells nationwide as of 2022. The DOW dataset includes 117,672 wells across 27 states. The data were compiled from publicly available, and often online, state agency sources. The USGS reformatted, produced coordinate locations when needed, and conducted quality control evaluations on the source material. The DOW dataset has numerous potential uses related to the topic of orphaned well locations. For example, the DOW dataset has contributed to the template behind the DOI's future orphaned well program database. Until the DOI database is complete, the USGS's DOW dataset may serve as an interim product, helping the DOI fulfill obligations in the BIL legislation.
The DOW dataset can also be utilized in future USGS estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from Federal lands. The DOW dataset is available as a USGS data release with metadata describing the sources and processing steps used in its production. An online map is also available for exploration and interaction with the DOW data. In addition to describing the DOW dataset and its generation, this report includes analyses of orphaned well completion year and well depth, produced by combining the DOW dataset with the proprietary IHS Markit database.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2023 |
---|---|
Title | Analysis of the United States documented unplugged orphaned oil and gas well dataset |
DOI | 10.3133/dr1167 |
Authors | Matthew D. Merrill, Claire A. Grove, Nicholas J. Gianoutsos, Philip A. Freeman |
Publication Type | Report |
Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
Series Title | Data Report |
Series Number | 1167 |
Index ID | dr1167 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | Central Energy Resources Science Center; Eastern Energy Resources Science Center; Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center |
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United States Documented Unplugged Orphaned Oil and Gas Well Dataset
Matthew D. Merrill
Research Geologist
Nicholas Gianoutsos
Physical Scientist
Philip A. Freeman
Operations Research Analyst
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United States Documented Unplugged Orphaned Oil and Gas Well Dataset
The United States Documented Unplugged Orphaned Oil and Gas Well (DOW) dataset contains 117,672 wells in 27 states. The definition of an orphaned oil or gas well varies across data sources; the dataset includes oil or gas wells where the state indicates that the well is an unplugged orphan, or the following criteria are met: 1) no production for an average of 12 months (6 to 24 months depending on - Multimedia
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Matthew D. Merrill
Research GeologistEmailPhoneNicholas Gianoutsos
Physical ScientistEmailPhonePhilip A. Freeman
Operations Research AnalystEmailPhone