Start your day with coffee and networking before the event.

The Conference Chair will set the stage for discussions ahead, outlining key themes for this year.

California’s oil and gas sector continues to face shifting dynamics shaped by production declines, regulatory changes, and the growing challenges in end of life well management. This session will examine current production and drilling trends and the pressures driving well abandonment and orphaned well management. Discussion will also consider how regulatory and policy developments are influencing the state’s energy future.

• Reviewing production and drilling trends
• Understanding the impacts of increasing idle wells
• Exploring regulatory and policy drivers shaping the industry

This session explores Kern County’s historic well sites and their role in shaping the region’s energy and industrial landscape. It highlights how historical records, artifacts, and community narratives inform today’s understanding of infrastructure challenges. The discussion examines opportunities for future site development, land reuse, and preservation strategies that balance heritage with modern needs.

Developing effective communication and feedback channels is essential to the success of orphan and idle well programs. This session examines new approaches for collecting community input, sharing information transparently, and improving public understanding of plugging and remediation activities. It will draw on insights from recent work to develop a framework for awareness and participation, highlighting strategies that strengthen trust and collaboration between agencies and the communities they serve.

Innovation is reshaping every stage of orphan and idle well management—from identification and assessment to remediation and monitoring. This session explores how emerging technologies, data integration, and collaboration across disciplines are driving progress, improving efficiency, and supporting long-term sustainability in well plugging programs.

Demonstration of state-of-the-art wellhead monitoring technology designed for precision and reliability in managing orphan and idle wells. This session will showcase how advanced sensors and data analytics provide real-time insights into well integrity and environmental emissions, helping to mitigate risks effectively. Learn about critical technical considerations and practical factors involved in selecting, deploying, and maintaining well monitoring systems in diverse field conditions. 
 

Some of California’s most valuable future development sites sit on or near legacy oil and gas activity, including idle and abandoned wells that shape land use, environmental obligations, and long-term risk. This session explores how landowners navigate the regulatory, technical, and transactional complexities of acquiring and developing these properties, including understanding CalGEM requirements, local permitting expectations, financial assurance obligations, and environmental liabilities.

Join us for a networking lunch and opening welcome from Sensys, setting the stage for an afternoon of collaboration and discussion.

Our lunch tables bring together experts from across the sector—join the discussion, exchange insights, and connect around key themes and challenges shaping orphan and idle well management.

This session explores how communities can repurpose marginalized lands to unlock new economic potential and environmental value. Participants will examine approaches to building resilience in regions impacted by orphan and idle wells, ensuring long-term sustainability and community trust. The discussion will also highlight workforce pathways tied to site redevelopment, showcasing how future-oriented strategies can create jobs, strengthen local economies, and support equitable growth.

These short 5-7 minute presentations from local experts focus on best practices for safe venting, gas control, and pressure management during plugging and abandonment.
 

Across the United States, orphan well programs are evolving as states implement new funding, data systems, and regulatory frameworks to address legacy wells at scale. This session provides a clear look at national progress, highlighting what’s working in program design, interagency coordination, and contractor engagement. It will also explore where further innovation, investment, and alignment are needed to sustain momentum and improve long-term outcomes in well remediation.

• Financing and Liability Management for Orphan and Idle Wells
  Speaker: Alex Vigil
• Repurposing Well Sites and Surrounding Lands
  Speaker: Erica Blyther

Innovating carbon credits by turning methane and P&A liabilities into digitized assets to advance California’s energy transition. This session will examine how evolving policy and market mechanisms are shaping investment, accountability, and the future value of verified carbon assets in the state.

Start your day with coffee and networking before the event.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how the industry identifies, prioritizes, and plugs orphan and idle wells. This keynote will highlight how data integration, predictive modeling, and automation are improving safety, reducing costs, and accelerating decision-making across decommissioning programs.

Keynote speaker to be Announced

Advances in aerial sensing and imaging are transforming how regulators and operators identify and assess difficult-to-locate wells, especially in environmentally sensitive regions. This session will examine how drone-based surveys are being used to detect surface hazards, methane leaks, and undocumented wells, improving data accuracy and reducing field risk. It will also explore emerging applications of these technologies across other phases of site assessment and remediation.

Determining which wells to plug first requires a clear, data-driven approach that accounts for geological risk, safety, and environmental impact. This session explores how regulators and technical teams are using subsurface information—such as pressure regimes, structural integrity, and surrounding geology—to prioritize wells and optimize limited funding.

Across Los Angeles County and beyond, new collaborations are exploring how inactive oil production sites can be acquired and repurposed for community benefit. This session presents findings from ongoing feasibility studies examining pathways for reuse and redevelopment, including conversions to parks, open spaces, housing, and other public uses. It will address the balance between regulatory, industry, and community perspectives and highlight practical lessons on navigating ownership, environmental, and policy challenges in transforming former oil sites into new assets.

California is evaluating new approaches to repurpose orphaned and idle wells to advance energy transition and resource management goals. This session will explore opportunities such as converting wells for geothermal energy, using existing infrastructure for carbon storage, and adapting wells for water management or monitoring. It will highlight how these strategies can reduce environmental liabilities while creating long-term value from legacy assets.

Across many mature oilfields, wells drilled more than a century ago continue to pose operational, environmental, and financial challenges. This session brings together industry perspectives on how these legacy assets fit into long-term planning—from risk management and liability to potential repurposing and closure strategies. Panelists will discuss what the future holds for these aging wells and how operators are adapting their approaches as technology, regulation, and expectations evolve.

This session brings together a cross section of the industry to debate where there is genuine alignment and where views diverge in orphan, idle, and marginal well management. The discussion explores shared priorities, unresolved challenges, and the practical realities shaping policy, operations, and long-term planning. The session will focus on identifying areas of consensus while openly examining points of disagreement to support clearer pathways for future collaboration.

• Integrating Geoscience into Orphan Well Solutions
• Global Innovation in Well Plugging Technologies
• Tribal Leadership in Plugging and Workforce Development

With federal leadership uncertain, states and voluntary markets are taking the lead in defining how carbon credits intersect with well plugging and emissions reduction. This session explores how evolving state policies, private registries, and industry innovation are reshaping funding models and accountability across orphan well programs.

To close out the program, two of our experts return to the stage to talk about important projects completed over the past year. Bring your questions for this engaging discussion among the group.

Join us for an informal walking tour to enjoy the sunset and unwind after two action-packed days.