Stripper wells are economically marginal oil and gas wells that produce at relatively low rates.
The definition of stripper wells varies. Wells that are producing at stripper well rates make up a significant portion of Kansas oil and gas production, and more importantly represent a very large portion of existing well bores. These well bores represent a very large capital investment that is at risk of being plugged and abandoned. We examined the most recent available production data from the Kansas Department of Revenue from the period of January through May 1999. This provides a five-month period to average production and to capture leases reporting production only on an intermittent basis.