Well Done Foundation (WDF) has been awarded a well-plugging project in Santa Barbara County, California, the non-profit said Feb. 12.
WDF, which aims to plug orphaned oil and gas wells across the U.S., said orphaned oil and gas wells—wells no company is fiscally responsible for—are accountable for between 20% and 30% of methane leaks in the U.S.
WDF’s Santa Barbara County Legacy Orphan Well Project is in collaboration with state, regional and local government agencies, community organizations and private sector businesses to plug orphan wells that may be leaking methane. Orphan wells in Orcutt and Santa Maria have been identified as the first to be screened and plugged in the county. After each well is plugged, WDF will restore the area around it to its natural state.
WDF has plugged over 40 orphaned wells in several states including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Louisiana, Montana and New Mexico.
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