This may come as a surprise to our readers but the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management administers a program known as the Orphan Well Program (OWP). The OWP was established in 1977 to plug abandoned oil and gas wells in Ohio. There is a mechanism for landowners to report orphan gas/oil wells to the ODNR to start the process of permanently plugging the well before it can cause problems in the future.  These orphan wells have a history of discharging contaminants onto the ground and into waterways long after they have been out of production. When a discharge from an orphan well occurs, the costs associated with remediating land and water from the well contaminants are extreme so it’s best to remove these orphan wells from the landscape by plugging them using this program.

The OWP is funded through a combination of monies provided by the state of Ohio and the federal Infrastructure Bill. Approved contractors are hired by ODNR to complete the process of properly abandoning and plugging orphan wells.