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#           Orphan Wells      

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      By Central Energy Resources Science Center      January 16, 2024    

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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 reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions while creating 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"

### Study Area

### Contacts

#### Nick Gianoutsos

##### Physical Scientist

Central Energy Resources Science Center

ngianoutsos@usgs.gov

303-236-1660

#### Karl B Haase, Ph.D.

##### Research Chemist

Water Resources Mission Area

##### Research Chemist

Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL)

khaase@usgs.gov

703-648-5818

### Explore Search

                      - Oil and Gas
                      - Research
                      - Regional Studies
                      - Energy

View All **

February 1, 2024

####                 Measurements of Water Quality Constituents in Groundwater Within 1 Mile (1.61 km) of Orphaned Wells in the United States              

Water Resources Mission Area, Community for Data Integration (CDI)

August 22, 2022

####                 United States Documented Unplugged Orphaned Oil and Gas Well Dataset              

Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

December 29, 2023

####                 Geologic sources and well integrity impact methane emissions from orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells              

Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

February 17, 2023

####                 Analysis of the United States documented unplugged orphaned oil and gas well dataset              

Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center

March 23, 2023

####                 United States Documented Unplugged Orphaned Oil and Gas Well (DOW) Dataset Viewer              

The dataset was created to provide documented orphaned well data to decision makers, as well as researchers, and other interested parties in a publicly available online format.

Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Plugging the Gaps: How the USGS is working to fill in data gaps for Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells

July 27, 2023

####   Plugging the Gaps: How the USGS is working to fill in data gaps for Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells

Ever wonder what happens to an oil and gas well when it runs dry? Believe it or not, that is a multi-billion-dollar question that occupies the...

Read Article

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 reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions while creating 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"

### Study Area

### Contacts

#### Nick Gianoutsos

##### Physical Scientist

Central Energy Resources Science Center

ngianoutsos@usgs.gov

303-236-1660

#### Karl B Haase, Ph.D.

##### Research Chemist

Water Resources Mission Area

##### Research Chemist

Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL)

khaase@usgs.gov

703-648-5818

### Explore Search

                      - Oil and Gas
                      - Research
                      - Regional Studies
                      - Energy

View All **

February 1, 2024

####                 Measurements of Water Quality Constituents in Groundwater Within 1 Mile (1.61 km) of Orphaned Wells in the United States              

Water Resources Mission Area, Community for Data Integration (CDI)

August 22, 2022

####                 United States Documented Unplugged Orphaned Oil and Gas Well Dataset              

Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

December 29, 2023

####                 Geologic sources and well integrity impact methane emissions from orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells              

Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

February 17, 2023

####                 Analysis of the United States documented unplugged orphaned oil and gas well dataset              

Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center

March 23, 2023

####                 United States Documented Unplugged Orphaned Oil and Gas Well (DOW) Dataset Viewer              

The dataset was created to provide documented orphaned well data to decision makers, as well as researchers, and other interested parties in a publicly available online format.

Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Plugging the Gaps: How the USGS is working to fill in data gaps for Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells

July 27, 2023

####   Plugging the Gaps: How the USGS is working to fill in data gaps for Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells

Ever wonder what happens to an oil and gas well when it runs dry? Believe it or not, that is a multi-billion-dollar question that occupies the...

Read Article