Understanding the latest updates on the funding for orphaned wells under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the importance of data builds, to ensure your organization is aware of any requirements and opportunities. BIL is a once-in-a-generation investment in the United States’ infrastructure and competitiveness. Section 40601 of the BIL creates an orphaned well site plugging, remediation, and restoration program within the DOI to address orphaned wells, well sites, and associated pipelines, facilities, and infrastructure located on Federal lands, Tribal lands, and State and private lands.

This presentation will provide a nation-wide update on the development of a comprehensive orphan well database, and an overview on USGS research to support orphan well repurposing, plugging, and emissions measurements.

This session will include an update on the disposition of orphan wells in Texas, the status of state managed and DOI funded well plugging programs, the process for prioritizing wells across Texas, and discuss potential opportunities for public and private resources to work in tandem to reduce the orphan and idle well population moving forward.

This session will include a discussion on how and what is being prioritized, the collaboration between the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, and the plans for a marginal wells program. 

Incentives are now available for measuring and validating the removal of GHG emissions through well plugging to gain carbon credits and to help operators and jurisdictions identify and prioritize leaking methane as an environmental risk. This session will review this new approach and the impact it is having on operators and contractors.
•    Exploring how the carbon credit market is evolving in the oil and gas sector
•    Evaluating the methodologies, reporting, and verification of carbon credits
•    Addressing trust issues related to the carbon credit market
•    Examining the methodologies for taking methane measurements

•    What are some of the best practice preparations for wells prior to plugging? 
•    What are some of the lessons learnt from offshore well P&A and cementing for onshore?
•    What are some of the new technologies or materials available to plug wells effectively and to address leaking plugged wells? 
•    How can we prevent or minimize external factors from compromising the integrity of the decommissioned well? 
•    What are some of the potential causes of leaking P&As?
•    What is the risk of old P&A wells that might be exposed to CO2 from carbon capture & storage (CCS) projects?

Texas has 100,000+ idle and low-producing wells which are at risk of becoming orphan wells in the future in the absence of policy change and a change in mindset to the issue. This session will explore how to take a holistic approach to assets to ensure current and future active wells are decommissioned in a timely approach with industry dollars at the end of their useful life.

•    What are some of the key successes and challenges faced from geothermal, CCUS, and other pilot projects to scale up and produce a revenue stream? 
•    How do the well location, data availability, underground infrastructure, and regulatory factors impacting the success of these projects? When will data be available to identify which wells have the right characteristics to be retrofitted?
•    What role does well integrity play in assessing the suitability for retrofitting versus plugging? How could geothermal wells impact productivity in active fields? 
•    What role does cost play in determining repurposing versus plugging in short term and long term? Who owns the carbon credits or geothermal energy generated from repurposed wells?
•    How can new wells be designed to allow for the option to repurpose once they become inactive?
•    Are there plans underway to establish guidelines, alleviate permitting challenges or create incentives to assist future projects?