Repairing the Damage from Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells

Hundreds of thousands of orphan oil and gas wells across the Ohio River Valley region threaten communities and the environment with harmful air and water pollution and climate-warming emissions. Federally funded programs to clean up these environmental liabilities could  create tens of thousands of well-paying  jobs each year, research shows.

Photo: Ted Boettner, 2022

 Reports:

Repairing the Damage from Hazardous Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells

A large-scale federal program to plug abandoned oil and gas wells in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia could create thousands of well-paying jobs across the region.

Diversified Energy: A Business Model Built to Fail Appalachia

Diversified Energy, the nation’s largest owner of low-producing oil & gas wells, does not have enough funds to plug its growing inventory. The company could leave states with billions in clean up costs.

Stayin' Alive: The Last Days of Stripper Wells in the Ohio River Valley

Low-producing oil and gas wells, also known as “stripper” wells, could soon become costly public liabilities.

All research on Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells:

Addressing Pennsylvania’s Orphaned Well Crisis

Addressing Pennsylvania’s Orphaned Well Crisis

Pennsylvania, like several other oil and gas producing states, has a broken system when it comes to preventing orphaned and abandoned wells. Its inadequate bonding and regulatory systems incentivize the indefinite delay of plugging responsibilities and the orphaning...

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