Orphaned wells in the United States
Though different jurisdictions have varying criteria for what exactly qualifies as an orphaned or abandoned oil well, generally speaking, an oil well is considered abandoned when it has been permanently taken out of production. Similarly, orphaned wells may have different legal definitions across different jurisdictions, but can be thought of as wells whose legal owner it is not possible to determine.
Abandoned gas well pump
The Well Done Foundation (WDF) is a United States-based non-profit environmental organization that plugs abandoned oil and gas wells, preventing methane emissions from being released into the atmosphere. Established in 2019 with its headquarters in Shelby, Montana, WDF is a vendor for the carbon marketplace and sells offsets verified through the American Carbon Registry (ACR).
Well Done Foundation
The Bluhm 14 well was drilled in 1934 and produced from the Madison Group. The last recorded production was in 2003, when the well produced 144 barrels of oil over a 15-day period. It was plugged by the Well Done Foundation on April 7, 2021.
Following the plugging of an abandoned well, contractors use a methane monitoring platform provided by the WDF, known as "Dorothy", to collect methane measurements.
