Plugged In? Assessing the Distribution of Orphaned Wells

The number of oil and gas extraction sites across the U.S. has continued to increase, even more so following the boom in production due to unconventional extraction. Much of the existing research focuses on the health, environmental, and policy impacts of active sites. However, comparatively less research focuses on wells that are no longer producing, especially those without known owners – termed orphan wells. Our findings reveal that lower income and home values are associated with higher well counts, with these relationships being non-linear. Additionally, tracts with higher non-white populations have fewer wells. <br><br>