US slates $1.15 billion to plug orphaned wells

US slates $1.15 billion to plug orphaned wells

USA

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 1, 2022 – The US government has put down USD 1.15 billion to plug orphan oil and gas wells that emit methane emissions across the country, the US Department of the Interior announced on Monday.

 

A total of 26 states have been given an initial grant of USD 25 million each, with more grants handed out based on state-provided data on job losses in each state.

“We must act with urgency to address the more than 100,000 documented orphaned wells across the country and leave no community behind. This is good for our climate, for the health of our communities and for American workers,” said Deb Haaland, US Secretary of the Interior.

Funding comes directly from a larger bipartisan infrastructure bill that aims to create a federal programme to address orphaned wells in the US for USD 4.7 billion.