US industry and government must work together on abandoned wells

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian, Fellow Brad Handler, and Communications Associate Brooke Bowser write about how dealing with end-of-life oil and gas wells has costs and challenges, but a joined-up approach should also offer benefits.  Millions of abandoned oil and gas wells are scattered across the US, leaking greenhouse gases (GHGs) and contaminating the local environment. A combination of tightening rules on oil companies to ensure the safe retirement of these wells and a government-funded programme to address older, undocumented wells provides a path forward. December 9, 2021.