The danger and how to deal with it

The study, published in the journal Nature Energy, collected data from more than 80,000 wells and found that there are 14,000 oil and gas wells in the Gulf of Mexico, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas that are no longer in use but continue to pump methane. surface

The scientists also analyzed the costs of shutting down these environmental killers. they say it might take 30 billion dollars.

• Uncapped oil and gas wells release methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that builds up in the atmosphere and warms the planet.
• Methane can cause suffocation if collected in a smaller area and is also highly flammable.
• It is especially dangerous when wells are near settlements and methane enters homes.
• About 13,000 such abandoned wells are in shallow federal or state water. The study’s authors explained that these wells should be prioritized for clogging.

Methane seeps from shallow infrastructure can reach the surface. Focusing work on shallow wells close to shore will provide more environmental benefits over costs than focusing on deeper wells further offshore.
— says Greg Upton, author of the study and associate professor at the Louisiana State University Center for Energy Studies.

Previous studies have shown that these wells can be the main source of water pollution and seepage of other toxins, including arsenic. Closing them involves a process where workers use cement to fill the reservoir from which oil and gas comes. According to Upton, a plug is placed in the well and then cement is poured on top. The cost of this process is usually determined by the amount of cement used and the tools needed to properly plug the well at various locations.