Rusty Relic or Disaster Waiting to Happen: Legacy Wells

History of Oil and Gas Wells in Pennsylvania 

Over 160 years ago, in Titusville, PA, the first commercial oil well in the United States was drilled.  Since then, an estimated 760,000 oil and gas wells have been drilled in the state.  Many gas and oil companies went bankrupt, leaving the state and their wells without a thought. This and other factors have led to many gas and oil wells becoming "legacy wells." The term "legacy well" refers to a well that was drilled and abandoned, leaving no record of who was responsible. The Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Act of 1984 established the Abandoned and Orphan Well Plugging Program. The purpose of this program is to find and plug legacy wells across the state.

What's the Big Deal? 

As with anything that happened over a century ago, there were no regulations put in place to keep people and the environment safe. Many of these abandoned wells look like one would think -- old and rusty. However, most of the wells that are being discovered look like a hole in the ground or a random metal pipe sticking out. During World War II, many of these wells were sought after to reuse the metal for war efforts. Thus, leaving many wells improperly exposed and unplugged.

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is working to plug these orphaned and abandoned wells. Wells that have not been plugged are a cause for concern for the safety of people, pets, and the environment. Unplugged wells release a flammable gas called methane. Methane is highly flammable and can even cause house fires and explosions. These abandoned wells leach pollutants into aquifers, affecting our groundwater and springs. The wells that were scrapped during WWII or altered by unknowing landowners create a hazard for farming, hunting, and other activities.

Financially, it can cost over $100,000 to plug a single well, depending on the condition and how deep the well has been drilled. DEP absorbs this cost when a legacy well is reported and confirmed, thanks to surcharges that are paid when new gas and oil wells are drilled. Future generations will pay the price of leaving these abandoned wells as they will only deteriorate, causing further erosion of the equipment and environment.

How Can You Help? 

Between 100,000 and 560,000 wells have not been accounted for; that is where landowners play a part. If a landowner knows of or finds an abandoned well on their property, the Penn State Extension Energy Team can help in the reporting process. After being contacted, the landowner's address will be compared to the existing map of abandoned wells through DEP. If the number of wells reported on the property comes back different, a time will be scheduled to come out with the landowner and visit the well site. During this visit, an Extension Educator will take pictures of the well to document its condition, as well as GPS coordinates. This information will be provided to DEP. After DEP is contacted, the landowner can schedule a time with DEP to visit the wells. DEP will determine if the well needs to be plugged by a risk assessment based on the risk to human safety and the environment. Wells with a greater risk will take priority over the lower-risk wells.

As a thank you for cooperating and playing a part in making the Commonwealth safer, each well that is reported and confirmed will receive $100*. As an example, if 3 wells are confirmed, the landowner will receive $300.

For more information or to report abandoned wells, please contact Dan Brockett, dlb14@psu.edu or Summer Boyle at sqw5805@psu.edu.

*In order to receive the $100 per well, the well must be reported to Penn State Extension.

Thank you to our partners at the Environmental Defense Fund and the Oil Region Alliance.