Orphan Well Plugging
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Orphan Wells in the United States
Across the United States, orphaned oil and gas wells have become a major environmental and economic liability. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, there are more than 120,000 documented orphan wells nationwide, and research published in Environmental Research Letters notes that hundreds of thousands more are likely undocumented, meaning the true total may be several times higher.
These wells are typically old, unplugged, and left behind by operators who no longer exist or cannot be held financially responsible. The U.S. Geological Survey emphasizes that such wells “waste natural resources, contaminate water, and pose a threat to the environment”, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing federal and state agencies.
Methane emission, the primary component of natural gas, can leak from these wells and go undetected for decades. Methane after 100 years in the atmosphere is still nearly 30 times as potent of a green house gas as carbon dioxide. To limit the rise in temperature by 2050, the 20-year impact of methane is 86 times that of carbon dioxide. To effect real climate change, finding and plugging these wells is a critical and impactful step.
To address this, our work focuses on identifying, plugging, and permanently remediating orphan wells, eliminating their emissions and environmental risks. We finance this remediation through the sale of high integrity, high-value carbon credits generated under the Carbon Path Methodology, independently verified by ALL Consulting Engineers, and listed on the Cloverly Exchange. This model turns a long neglected environmental hazard into a measurable, verifiable climate solution that benefits communities, ecosystems, and the atmosphere.
