This number of wells plugged (300) surpasses the record of most wells plugged by the state Oilfield Site Restoration (OSR) program in previous years. The previous record was 280, completed in fiscal year 1998-1999, and it nearly doubles the average OSR fully-year plugging figures for the last few years.
Orphaned wells are abandoned or inactive oil and gas wells. They present environmental risks that require careful remediation. LEMOINE’s disaster and environmental services expertise and project management and coordination continue to significantly contribute to the success of the program.
“The contractors and their crews have worked hard to help us make these BIL dollars count. We’ve been fortunate to have favorable weather this spring, and these folks have made the most of it,” DNR Secretary Tom Harris said. “They have set a record pace for orphaned well plugging in our state, helping us take full advantage of the opportunity presented by having such a large inflow of available funding.”
The initial grant more than doubles the average annual amount of funding for the regular state Oilfield Site Restoration, with which the state Office of Conservation has plugged an average of about 160 wells a year depending on weather, environmental factors, and prioritization of funds for emergency response.
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BIL funding is being administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) as part of an overall $1.15 billion announced in January 2022 for states to plug and remediate orphaned wells. Although the DOI has not yet released all the information, it has hinted that states will receive more funding phases this year.
