Story By Charles Kennedy |OilPrice.com| Texas’ inventory of orphaned oil and gas wells has climbed to its highest level in nearly two decades, with the Railroad Commission reporting 10,029 orphaned wells — the most since August 2006, according to watchdog group Commission Shift.
Commission spokesperson Bryce Dubee confirmed the figure, noting that orphan well numbers fluctuate due to market conditions, such as the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that the agency “aggressively plugs high-risk wells first” under its prioritization system. The Commission typically seals about 1,300 wells annually, though that pace lags behind the number of new wells added to the list each year.
Critics say the backlog has real consequences. “We’re still hearing from people who report leaking wells that the Commission deems not bad enough yet,” said Virginia Palacios, executive director of Commission Shift. “These sites often worsen because the Railroad Commission can’t get to them fast enough.”
In response, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 1150 this summer, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, tightening rules for inactive wells more than 15 years old. Operators seeking deadline extensions must now prove financial hardship, demonstrate a history of reactivating wells, or submit a compliance plan to plug or restore wells by 2040.
The law also directs the Railroad Commission to scrutinize well transfers and penalize “bad-faith” deals that shift liabilities to smaller, underfunded operators. “A well-crafted rule can identify questionable transfers,” said Julie Range, policy director at Commission Shift, who urged the agency to set clear enforcement criteria.
Commission Shift called SB 1150 a “step forward” but warned of loopholes that could weaken enforcement. The group continues to advocate for stricter bonding requirements, ensuring operators can afford the $40,000+ average cost of plugging a well before drilling or acquiring new ones.
The Orphaned Well Estimated Count
The estimate of orphaned wells in the continental U.S. varies significantly depending on whether the wells are officially documented and which federal agency or organization is providing the data.
While approximately 120,000 orphaned wells are currently documented and eligible for federal funding, the overall estimate for the total number of unplugged orphaned wells is much higher:
🔴 Undocumented Wells: The Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) estimates that there are between 310,000 and 800,000 additional undocumented orphaned wells.
🔴 Total Abandoned Wells: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides an even broader estimate, suggesting there are approximately 3.3 million abandoned oil and gas wells nationwide, which includes both documented and undocumented orphaned wells.
