Perilous Pathways: Mapping Pennsylvania’s Abandoned Wells

October 10, 2012 | 1:00 AM

By Yan Lu and Scott Detrow

Part 1: Why abandoned wells are a problem

Infographic: How abandoned wells can contribute to methane migration

Part 2: How many wells dot Pennsylvania, and why aren’t we plugging more of them?

Map: Known abandoned wells in Pennsylvania

Part 3: How to track down an abandoned well

Part 4: States don’t do much to regulate drilling near abandoned wells

About 200,000 orphaned and abandoned wells likely dot Pennsylvania, but the Department of Environmental Protection only has information about a fraction of them.

These holes in the ground with deteriorating or nonexistent plugging are potential pathways for gas to migrate to the surface. StateImpact Pennsylvania has used the state’s data to create a map of every known abandoned well. Click on any dot below to see what data the state has collected.

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Comments

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=524748086 Maggie Henry

DEP is NOT doing their job identifying old abandoned wells at all! I have a USGS map identifying 1500 wells drilled and in some state of production between 1901-1906 and not a single one of them is on the DEP’s spreadsheet of wells! I actually filed an objection with the EHB over DEP issuing permits in what is known as the historic Bessemer Oil Field. Makes no difference to me who they gave the permits to, there are areas just too sensitive to drill. Exactly what was DEP’s response to the objection? Join forces with Shell, who hired the legal firm Babst and Calland of Pittsburgh to represent them. Why was Shell even involved? The dispute is over granting permits in this six mile wide area that was turned into Swiss cheese at the turn of the last century. There are actually historical references to another 2000 wells drilled here after 1910! DEP is cooperating with multinational corporate interests… Is there anyone who actually believes this is in best interest of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pa or the environment they are supposed to be protecting?
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=524748086 Maggie Henry

Not one of the wells drilled in the historic Bessemer Oil Field, a six mile wide area, home to thousands of abandon gas and oil wells is on this DEP spreadsheet. Meadville office of DEP has a farmline map with over 1000 of these wells on it and not one of them is identified here.

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