Rewriting Pennsylvania’s Legacy
Orphan Well Plugging Grant Program
In response to the passage of Act 96 and Act 136, DEP is creating an Orphan Well Plugging Grant Program that provides funding to a qualified well plugger to plug an eligible orphan well.
This grant program provides up to:
- $40,000 to a Qualified Well Plugger for every eligible well plugged that is an orphan well of a depth of 3,000 feet or less or the actual cost to plug the well, whichever is less.
- $70,000 to a Qualified Well Plugger for every eligible well plugged that is an orphan well of a depth greater than 3,000 feet or the actual cost to plug the well, whichever is less.
A
“Qualified Well Plugger” is a “person who demonstrates access to equipment, materials, resources and services to plug wells in accordance with statutory and regulatory requirements.”
An
“Orphan Well” as defined in Section 3203 of the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Act is “a well abandoned prior to April 18, 1985 that has not been affected or operated by the present owner or operator and from which the present owner, operator or lessee has received no economic benefit other than as a landowner or recipient of a royalty interest from the well.”
Accordion
Expand AllClick here for a more accessible versionOrphan wells that are eligible to be plugged via this Orphan Well Plugging Grant Program are listed in the following two locations:
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PA Oil and Gas Mapping
- a. To view orphan wells on the map, go to the “Oil and Gas Well Layers” tab (left side of page)
- b. Well Destination - select “Conventional Wells”
- c. Well Type - select All Types
- d. Well Status - select “DEP Orphan”
- e. Select “Submit Request”
- f. DEP Orphan wells will be displayed on the interactive map
- g. Select the “I” (information icon), then select any well on the map for well name, permit number, and additional information
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Abandoned Orphan Web - Report Viewer
- a. Select the dropdown arrow on the right side of the “Well Status” field
- b. Unselect all well statuses other than “DEP Orphan List”
- c. Select the “View Report” button in the upper right corner.
- d. This will generate a list of only “DEP Orphan List” wells.
- e. Select the “Export drop down menu” button just to the left of the print button.
- f. This will allow you to export the data in various file formats.
The Orphan Well Plugging Grant Application is currently under development and will be available soon (please check back).
Complete applications will be processed on a “first come, first served” basis until all funds have been committed.
The Well Plugging and Restoration Agreement form (see application documents below) serves as a landowner consent form. Prior to completing the grant application, this form needs to be completed so that it can be uploaded into the grant application.
Before beginning the application, identification if methane emissions are detected at each eligible well as described in the Orphan Well Grant Program application needs to be prepared (“Not Detected” or “Detected” or “Detected + may be high”)
Orphaned Wells Methane Measurement Guidelines
Please reference the
Orphan Well Plugging Grant frequently asked questions (FAQ) document. Should you have any specific questions about this grant program, please contact the Department via e-mail at
ra-epoilandgas@pa.gov.
The Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), was signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021. IIJA has the potential to provide approximately $400 million to Pennsylvania to plug and remediate abandoned and orphan (AO) oil and gas wells across the commonwealth through 2030.
2022 Act 136 - PA General Assembly
2022 Act 96 - PA General Assembly
Orphan Well Plugging Grant Program Flyer
More information coming soon…
Abandoned and Orphan Well Program
It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of oil and gas wells have been drilled in Pennsylvania since 1859. Although owners and operators are legally responsible for plugging wells when oil and gas production is no longer economically viable, this does not always happen. In addition to the wells that were drilled historically – prior to regulations pertaining to well decommissioning – there are instances in which an oil and gas company files for bankruptcy protection or moves out of the commonwealth, leaving its wells improperly abandoned. There are also circumstances when DEP must address wells purchased by or transferred to landowners who are not familiar with the financial and regulatory responsibilities associated with becoming a well owner/operator in the commonwealth (reporting, well integrity assessments, possible environmental investigative work, and ultimately providing well decommissioning costs that range from tens of thousands of dollars to over $100,000.) Whatever the mechanism, there remain many thousands of abandoned wells in the commonwealth that have no identifiable responsible party to complete plugging.
DEP's Well Plugging Program was established under the authority of the Oil and Gas Act to plug oil and gas wells where there is no identifiable responsible party. If not addressed properly, wells have the potential to cause health, safety, environmental and economic concerns. The Act also established permit surcharges that range from $150 to $250 per new oil and gas well permit. These surcharges are paid by well operators and deposited in accounts established for well decommissioning activities conducted by DEP. Although well intentioned, the surcharges are not sufficient to allow the commonwealth to address the liability associated with legacy oil and gas wells.
Reporting an Abandoned Well
Individuals that become aware of abandoned wells – especially those wells causing environmental or public safety issues – are encouraged to contact the appropriate DEP Oil and Gas District Office or fill out the
Abandoned Well Reporting Form. Upon notification, DEP will investigate the well to determine if it qualifies as an abandoned or orphan well and that any potential environmental, health and safety issues are addressed, as resources allow.
Contacts and Directions Oil and Gas Office Locations
A well classified as abandoned may be an orphan well if it meets certain criteria. For more information, please go to the
orphan well classification request and instruction forms.
View our interactive map showing abandoned, orphan, and DEP plugged wells