CHALLENGES OF PLUGGING ORPHAN WELLS IN NORTHERN OHIO

Ohio has been producing oil and gas at a commercial scale since approximately 1860 according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). During this time there have been numerous wells drilled throughout Ohio's oilfields and many within urbanized areas throughout northern Ohio. Ohio has 19,000 orphan wells known to ODNR, and that number continues to grow as public outreach and technology advance. Ohio's orphan well program has been managed solely by ODNR, Division of Oil & Gas Resource Management but due to the magnitude of the challenge, they recently enlisted the private sector for assistance.

Verdantas has been assisting ODNR with orphan well plugging design since 2022 with the majority of these projects occurring in areas with high population density and designated as urban. These orphan wells can be a hazard to human health and the environment primarily due to methane and hydrogen sulfide emissions. Due to these hazards orphan well projects are assessed on safety to the public and contractors, environmental impact, and engineering feasibility. Traditionally cost and project timelines are dictated by geologic formation the well was producing in and the era the well was completed, however, complexity from well over a century of urban development becomes the predominant factor for both cost and project schedules.

Removing environmental impacts and risks to human health from Ohio's orphan wells in our urban areas requires a team approach from all stakeholders that are impacted. While every orphan plugging project provides a unique technological challenge, Verdantas has found that public coordination and outreach are the cornerstone to removing these liabilities from the community.