EPA Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks 1990-2016: Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells - 2018

Oil & Natural Gas / Conventional Oil & Gas Resources / Related Environmental Issues / Environmental Impact

As industry finally gears up to address the abandoned oil & gas wells in the U.S., although the matter was addressed in the 1970s by EPA, previous versions of this memo released in June and October 2017, and during stakeholder webinars and workshops held in April, June, and August 2017, and March 2018, EPA presented preliminary considerations and sought stakeholder feedback on incorporating an estimate for emissions from abandoned oil and gas wells in the 2018 Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (GHGI).

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This version of the memo is updated to document the methodology implemented in the final 2018 GHGI which reflects stakeholder feedback. EPA
continues to seek stakeholder feedback to improve estimates for this source (see pages 10–12).

Recent studies have investigated methane leakage from abandoned wells in the U.S. The term "abandoned wells" as typically used in published scientific articles and this memo encompasses various types of wells:

• Wells with no recent production, and not plugged. Common terms (such as those used in state databases) might include: inactive, temporarily abandoned, shut-in, dormant, idle.
• Wells with no recent production and no responsible operator. Common terms might include: orphaned, deserted, long-term idle, abandoned.
• Wells that have been plugged to prevent migration of gas or fluids.

Emissions from abandoned oil and gas wells were not included in previous GHGIs. Commenters on previous GHGIs supported including this source, but noted that the current data were limited, and suggested reviewing data that will become available in the future. EPA identified studies with emissions and activity data on abandoned wells (Kang et al. 20141, Kang et al. 20162, Townsend-Small et al. 20163, Brandt et al. 20144 ) and developed an estimate
for this source in the 2018 GHGI. 

Ohio Programs: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCWbD86vIFk 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eysCCEgKlMs

Texas Programs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goiC2ZpRHxY

Pennsylvania Programs: 

https://www.depgreenport.state.pa.us/elibrary/PDFProvider.ashx?action=PDFStream&docID=1419023&chksum=&revision=0&docName=ABANDONED+AND+ORPHAN+OIL+AND+GAS+WELLS+AND+THE+WELL+PLUGGING+PROGRAM&nativeExt=pdf&PromptToSave=False&Size=411528&ViewerMode=2&overlay=0

https://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/LegacyWells/Pages/Well-Plugging-Program.aspx

https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/Orphan%20Well%20FactSheet%20PA.pdf

https://www.i2mconsultants.com/downloads/corp/pnas.1408315111.pdf 

West Virginia Programs:

https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/Orphan%20Well%20FactSheet%20WV.pdf

General Google Search Results:

https://www.google.com/search?q=abandoned+oil+and+gas+wells&sxsrf=AJOqlzVBNAPyIJLbduu4Q8woxoMCp_TpDw%3A1675288114579&ei=Mt7aY5H-IoukqtsP_IyxsAg&oq=adandoned+oil+%26+Gas+wells&gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQARgAMggIABAIEB4QDTIICAAQCBAeEA0yCAgAEAgQHhANMggIABAIEB4QDTIFCAAQhgMyBQgAEIYDSgQIQRgASgQIRhgAUABYAGDURGgAcAF4AIABVYgBVZIBATGYAQCgAQHAAQE&sclient=gws-wiz-serp