Idle wells could be big source of methane releases

A 2016 study by Townsend-Small found a similar issue in inactive wells she tested in Colorado, Wyoming, Ohio and Utah. Spread across the estimated 3.1 million abandoned wells, the leaking methane is equivalent to burning more than 16 million barrels of oil, according to government estimates.

Five of the inactive wells Townsend-Small studied were leaking a brine solution onto the ground, in some cases creating large ponds.

“I was horrified by that. I’ve never seen anything like that here in Ohio,” Townsend-Small said. “One was gushing out so much water that people who lived there called it a lake, but it’s toxic. It has dead trees all around it and smells like hydrogen sulfide.”

Most of the wells had been inactive for three to five years, possibly because of fluctuations in market demand. Inactive wells could be a substantial source of methane emissions if they are not subject to leak detection and repair regulations, the UC study concluded.

The study was funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The project demonstrates UC's commitment to research as part of its strategic direction called Next Lives Here. 

Previous studies have found the basin generates 2.7 billion kilograms of methane per year or nearly 4% of the total gas extracted. That’s 60% higher than the average methane emissions in oil and gas production regions nationally. This was attributed to high rates of venting and flaring due to a lack of natural gas pipelines and other gas production infrastructure.

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that scientists have linked to climate change. If the rate of methane leaks UC observed were consistent across all 102,000 idled wells in Texas, the 5.5 million kilograms of methane released would be equivalent to burning 150 million pounds of coal each year, according to an estimate by the magazine Grist and nonprofit news organization the Texas Observer.

Townsend-Small and her UC undergraduate research assistant Jacob Hoschouer, a study co-author, came to Texas at the suggestion of the media organizations, which wanted to explore the environmental impact of oil wells, particularly those that are inactive or abandoned. An expert on methane emissions, Townsend-Small has studied releases from oil and natural gas wells across the country.

“A journalist called asking about abandoned wells. And the more we talked, the more I thought, ‘Maybe I can just drive down there?’” Townsend-Small said.

The journalists arranged with the property owners for Townsend-Small to examine the wells. 

Hoschouer, who graduated from UC last year with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, conducted similar tests at leaking wells in southeast Ohio. In Texas, they used special tools to collect and test air samples where methane might be leaking from the well.

President Joe Biden’s administration has pledged $16 billion in its infrastructure plan to cap abandoned oil and gas wells and mitigate abandoned mines. Hoschouer said it would be gratifying if their research could help regulators prioritize wells for capping.

“If they happened to cap one of the wells we studied, that would be really satisfying,” he said.

In the meantime, regular inspections of inactive wells using infrared cameras to identify leaks could address the problem, the UC study suggested.

Hoschouer said he feels fortunate to have gotten research experience as a UC undergraduate. He approached Townsend-Small about doing research in air pollution at a time when she was looking to fill a research assistant position.

“That’s my one piece of advice to other students: If someone wants to go into research, go ask a professor who’s working in your field of interest,” he said. “It’s incredible how many opportunities there are.”

Featured image at top: UC Associate Professor Amy Townsend-Small stands in front of a small lake apparently formed by water gushing from an inactive oil well. Photo/Provided