Adam Peltz, director and senior attorney at non-profit advocacy group Environmental Defense Fund, said: “There are around 200,000 to 300,000 idle wells in the US currently and hundreds of thousands more very low-producing or marginal wells, all of which are at very high risk of becoming orphaned soon.
“Unless operators are setting aside (about) US$50,000 to US$100,000 per well to plug the wells, we’re kind of in trouble,” he added.
Plugging a well with cement can cost tens of thousands of dollars, which is far too expensive for many smaller operators.
The state has been plugging up to 50 wells a year, with more than US$40 million pumped into clean-up efforts through the federal Infrastructure and Jobs Act.
However, New Mexico lawmakers recently failed to pass legislation to try and unlock more funds for cleanup operations and put more of an onus on oil and gas firms to cover the costs.
Dylan Fuge, deputy secretary of the state’s Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, said: “It all boils down to additional money and resources, but I think the states, the federal government and operators are going to have to come up with additional resources to address this issue.
“Otherwise, the legacy left behind are rusting derelicts in the desert.”
