Orphan well programs explained
What an orphan well is, who pays to plug one, how federal infrastructure-law money reaches the states, and how to follow it.
An orphan well is an oil or gas well with no solvent owner to plug it. When none can be found, the state, a tribe or a federal agency takes responsibility.
Who pays
Historically state funds raised from fees and forfeited bonds, which rarely stretched far. Since 2021 the federal infrastructure law has funded state formula grants; we matched about $1,071.9 million of grants across the states we track in federal award records.
What the money buys
Programs prioritise wells that threaten water, people or the climate (methane leaks), then plug in batches under contract. The results, by state, are on the program tracker.
What it costs
For the 10 states with a published figure the median is between $5,590 and $132,792 per well. Cost by state.
What is left
Where a state lists its documented orphan wells, the program page multiplies the count by the published range to estimate the backlog. Those are estimates, not budgets.