Orphaned Wells

Millions of Americans across the country live relatively close to orphaned oil and gas wells. These legacy sites negatively impact oil and gas development activities and are hazardous to public health and safety. 


Section 40601 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which is codified at 42 U.S.C. § 15907, directs the Department to establish programs to inventory and properly plug orphaned wells. The law provides $4.7 billion for orphaned well site plugging, remediation and restoration activities on federal, Tribal, state and private lands.


The mission of the Orphaned Wells Program Office is to facilitate the effective, accountable, and efficient implementation of the state, tribal, and federal assistance programs. To date, the OWPO has distributed over $1.4 billion to states, Tribes, and other federal agencies, which have used the funds to plug nearly 10,000 orphaned oil and gas wells across the country.

View the Orphaned Wells Program Office Congressional Report from Fiscal Year 2024 

Resources

FY2023 Orphaned Wells Congressional Report

FY22 ECRP Congressional Report

Indian Energy Service Center - Indian Affairs

Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission

Definitions