There are tens of thousands of inactive offshore oil and gas wells that remain unplugged in the U.S., posing the risk of possible leaks into the ocean, according to new research.
Kari Goodnough/Bloomberg via Getty Images
There have been about 82,000 wells drilled in the Gulf of Mexico coastal waters in Louisiana, Texas and Alabama, according to the paper. The researchers combined federal and state agency data on offshore wells in the Gulf of Mexico and found that 14,000 non-producing wells have not been plugged and abandoned. There are more inactive, non-producing wells that have not been plugged and abandoned than currently active wells in this region, the researchers found.
A pelican rests on a piling with an oil rig in the background, April 18, 2011 in Dauphin Island, Ala.Wells closer to the surface tend to be shallow, therefore any oil leaks would be more likely to affect the coastal ecosystem, Mark Agerton, assistant professor at the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California, Davis, told reporters in a news conference on Wednesday.
Federal and state rules require operators to plug and abandon wells after the production of oil or gas stops, which involves placing cement plugs in the wellbore and the upper portion of the well. This can prevent hydrocarbons and other forms of environmental pollution from on leaking from the well, and prevent underground saltwater from polluting fresh groundwater reservoirs, according to the paper.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
14,000 oil and gas wells remain unplugged in the Gulf of MexicoThere are 14,000 unplugged oil and gas wells in the Gulf of Mexico – oil leaks from these could harm marine ecosystems and seawater seeping into them could leech into freshwater aquifers
Read more »
Denver’s Wyndham Clark holds off Xander Schauffele for first PGA win at Wells FargoWyndham Clark, who was born in Denver and went to Valor Christian High School, shot 68 on Sunday for a four-shot victory over Xander Schauffele at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Read more »
What is a Wells notice, explainedGet informed on Wells notices! Learn what they are, how they work and what they mean for investors in this concise guide.
Read more »
Hundreds of Hawaii residents rely on bottled water ever since 'forever chemicals' were found in their wellsThe source of the elevated levels of PFAS in water on the island of O'ahu hasn’t been identified yet, but it might be linked to firefighting foam used by the military.
Read more »
Popovich’s penthouse, country cafes and USAA’s loss top the week’s headlinesNews that Wells Fargo is caught up in the Chris Pettit case and the outcry over the cashless wristband system at the King William Fair also among week’s top headline.
Read more »
Bonifay Police Department shut down: ReportThe shutdown follows the resignation of Police Chief Chris Wells and the arrest of a police supervisor, per the report.
Read more »