Program tracker › Ohio

Ohio orphan well program

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

Total of reported plugging costs on file
$181.4 million
sum of 1,660 records; not a cost per well
Plugged wells on file
1,660
2023-06 to 2025-10

BModerate confidence

Median reported cost per well: $95,855, typical range $52,803 – $179,884; Typically within 36%. Full state page.

010203012023Q272023Q3132023Q4162024Q1122024Q2292024Q3152024Q4272025Q1132025Q2152025Q332025Q4
Plugged wells with a reported cost, by quarter of plug date (latest 12 quarters).

Estimated cost to plug the documented backlog

Ohio lists about 2,533 documented orphan wells (documented orphan wells, as of 2025-12-31; Ohio DNR 2025 Orphan Well Program Annual Report). Multiplied by the published cost per well, that is roughly $242.8 million (low $133.7 million, high $455.6 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.

Contractors

Companies on federal plugging contracts or subawards in Ohio, from USAspending.gov: D.J. Group Inc, North Wind Site Services, Llc, Parliament Llc.

Bond rules: see bond amounts for Ohio.

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

Cost by state: Ohio · All states