Orphan Wells and the Hidden Risk to Groundwater
April 7, 2026
This StoryMap illustrates the hazards that orphan wells pose to groundwater in the continental United States at the aquifer scale. This interactive viewer allows the public to explore maps generated for the article, Geospatial analysis of water-quality threats from orphan wells in principal and secondary aquifers (linked in the publications tab) .
Related
Orphan Wells
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...
Related
Orphan Wells
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...