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Nebraska orphan well program

Funding, wells plugged and contractors for Nebraska's orphan well program, from public federal records.

Total of reported plugging costs on file
$16.6 million
sum of 403 records; not a cost per well
Plugged wells on file
403
2022-10 to 2025-08

AHigh confidence

Median reported cost per well: $38,916, typical range $17,628 – $59,145; Typically within 24%. Full state page.

050100272022Q492023Q1932023Q2692023Q3382023Q4212024Q1372024Q2252024Q3282024Q4212025Q1152025Q2202025Q3
Plugged wells with a reported cost, by quarter of plug date (latest 12 quarters).

Estimated cost to plug the documented backlog

Nebraska lists about 466 documented orphan wells (documented orphan wells, as of 2023-12-31; IOGCC Idle and Orphan Oil and Gas Wells (2024), state-reported). Multiplied by the published cost per well, that is roughly $18.1 million (low $8.2 million, high $27.6 million). This is an estimate built from the published figures, not a program estimate; the wells left are not necessarily like the wells already plugged. Methodology.

Bond rules: see bond amounts for Nebraska.

Sources: US Department of the Interior Orphaned Wells Program data, USAspending.gov. Grant amounts are those found for Nebraska and may be incomplete. Limitations.

Cost by state: Nebraska · All states