Orphaned Oil Wells - An Environmental Concern (part 1)

What is an Orphan Oil Well? An orphaned oil well is a well that has been abandoned by a company that either moved or went bankrupt, causing the oil well not to have an owner, and leaving behind hundreds of feet of underground piping, fuse boxes, and internet boxes.   

What is the Environmental Harm from orphaned oil wells? Orphaned oil wells can cause grave damage to the environment, and sadly they are causing destruction right now. There are millions of abandoned oil wells that are releasing pollutants into our atmosphere and water. The issue is these wells were never properly plugged; therefore, they emit hazardous particles into the air. This contributes to climate change and the increasing temperatures we are feeling. These oil wells can be categorized as a public nuisance, health hazard, and environmental problem. 

The Ground Water Protection Agency has done extensive research on the impact of these wells on groundwater. There have been issues with groundwater contamination and even a methane blowout at a California construction site. 2018 was the first year that the U.N. countries recorded the amount of methane released from these wells. The numbers were scary. With 2.1 million abandoned oil wells in the United States alone, 281 kilotons of methane is emitted. This is equivalent to consuming 16 barrels of crude oil. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is more potent and harmful than CO2 over a hundred years. Each year an abandoned well is left unplugged; it is equal to one person driving and emitting greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, directly contributing towards climate change. Since there are 2.1 million abandoned oil wells in just the U.S., it is equivalent to having 2.1million vehicles emitting greenhouse gases. A widespread federal effort to plug the wells would prevent local air pollution, safety risks, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Brine is another environmental hazard that comes from abandoned oil wells. The brine contains radioactive and toxic substances that get emitted and infiltrates into shale. In 2014, the U.S. Geological Services stated, "Even a small percentage of compromised well bores could correspond to a large number of transport pathways." Meaning that they indicate groundwater contamination as a severe threat. Even the California Council of Science and Technology called for widespread groundwater testing in 2014, which has yet to happen today. It is proven that California, Texas, and Pennsylvania has a majority of poorly plugged wells that emit methane and toxic pollutants into the air over time. When these plugged oil wells leak, it can cause surface expression, meaning the leaks travel to the Earth's crust, and the oil, gas, and water saturate the soil. Sadly, this can cause fatal accidents. A Chevron Employee, David Taylor, was a victim of such a disaster. The company that owned the wells continued to inject high-pressure injections into the ground near the well, causing it to get oversaturated and cave in. This is where David fell into a crater of 190-degree fluid made up of hydrogen sulfide. These abandoned and poorly plugged wells can be fatal to the community, as well as the Earth.