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Cost to plug an oil or gas well in Kentucky

Reported costs of publicly funded well plugging in Kentucky, 2022 to 2026.

Median cost per well

$27,400

B held-out error 21%

Typical range

$17,535 – $43,490

10th to 90th percentile; held 81% of held-out wells

Wells on file

921

176 independent observations, 2022-10 to 2026-06

Estimate a well in Kentucky

By well type

Light bar: 10th to 90th percentile. Dark bar: middle half. Tick: median. Only graded well types are drawn.

Well type	Median per well	Typical range (10th–90th pct.)	Grade	Wells	Held-out error
Gas well	—	—	Insufficient data	158	—
Injection or disposal well	—	—	Insufficient data	77	—
Oil well	$27,216	$16,500 – $43,792	B	623	22%
Other or unknown	—	—	Insufficient data	63	—

By depth

Depth band	Median per well	Typical range (10th–90th pct.)	Grade	Wells	Held-out error
1,000-2,999 ft	$32,950	$19,900 – $45,450	B	350	27%
3,000-5,999 ft	—	—	Insufficient data	10	—
under 1,000 ft	$27,216	$19,000 – $40,000	B	244	17%

By year plugged

Wells with a reported plugging cost, by year plugged.

Year	Median per well	Typical range (10th–90th pct.)	Grade	Wells	Held-out error
2022	$27,216	$24,500 – $51,043	B	247	10%
2023	—	—	Insufficient data	376	—
2025	—	—	Insufficient data	84	—
2026	—	—	Insufficient data	213	—

Cost index for Kentucky

Year	Index (2023 = 100 where 2023 is on file, otherwise first year)	Grade	Wells
2022	123.7	B	247
2023	—	Insufficient data	376
2024	—	Insufficient data	1
2025	—	Insufficient data	84
2026	—	Insufficient data	213

Contractors active

Companies awarded federal contracts for well plugging in this state, from USAspending (federal-land wells only): Mabbett & Associates, Inc..

Receipts

Every figure on this page is computed from public records you can inspect:

Well-level records for Kentucky in the US Department of the Interior Orphaned Wells Program Office data layer (well identifier, county, type, reported cost, date).
Orphaned Wells Program maps and data, US Department of the Interior.

Costs are as reported by the grant recipient. 13% of the records here are a cost for one well; the rest are contract or lease averages. See limitations.

Data through 2026-06-30. Sample sizes are the wells behind each figure. Grades come from held-out tests, not in-sample fit: A needs 200+ independent cost observations and a held-out error of 25% or less; B needs 60+ and 40% or less. Anything weaker is shown as Insufficient data. How grading works.

Some figures here are withheld because the data is too thin to grade. If you hold actual plugging costs, report a plugging cost. Reports are reviewed before any use.