Overview
West Virginia, rich in natural resources, has a long history of oil and gas extraction dating back to the mid-19th century. While activity levels have fluctuated, thousands
of wells have been drilled over the past 150-plus years. Many of these wells were eventually abandoned without being properly plugged, as they became unproductive or
companies went out of business and now pose a potential environmental and/or safety threat.
The Office of Oil and Gas (OOG) plays a crucial role in overseeing the plugging of abandoned wells. Historically, efforts have been modest, constrained by limited funding
and resources. However, growing awareness of environmental impacts and expanded state and federal support have helped bolster these initiatives.
In recent years, the program has received significant boosts, particularly from enhanced state funding as well as federal funds allocated through initiatives like the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. These funds allow OOG to accelerate the identification, prioritization, plugging, and reclamation of abandoned/orphaned wells.
In 2023, the abandoned well plugging program was responsible for the plugging of 220 wells across all funding sources, up from only a couple of wells on average in prior years.