More than half of the 2 million documented, unplugged wells in the country currently stand idle or otherwise contribute no revenue to fund the decommissioning liability, writes petroleum engineer Dwayne Purvis.about well decommissioning that apply to a fraction of the oil industry. In doing so, my industry admitted, again, that many companies simply cannot afford to clean up their fields when they finish producing. Taxpayers stand next in line to foot the bill.
On the other side of the coin, 92% of production comes from just 7% of unplugged wells. Some companies continue drilling, but most continue depleting.