Photo by: Elizabeth Conley(Staff photographer)
A Houston Chronicle investigation from reporter Amanda Drane found an expanding pool of evidence suggesting oil wells are coming unplugged. Some call them "zombie wells," and they're compounding the already challenging problem of hundreds of thousands estimated orphaned wells that, in some cases, have been left unplugged for decades.
Unplugged wells and those with failing plugs allow climate-warming gasses and toxic waters to freely rise to the surface, poison groundwater aquifers and kill plants.
The problems caused by leaking wells can be expensive to fix, and the longer an old well sits, the more the steel casing and cement protecting the hole degrade. The problem can be exacerbated by wastewater flowing underground. Some old wells that deteriorated could cost as much as $1 million to fix.
In the three part series, Drane explores how these issues are coming into sharper focus as the energy industry dives into uncharted territory with carbon capture and storage, perceived by many as pivotal in the fight against climate change. Operators would remove climate-warming carbon dioxide from the air and pump it underground for storage, yet unplugged and leaking wells pose risks for the future of the emerging industry because they could allow carbon dioxide to travel back to the surface.
That, in turn, could undo climate benefits and endanger humans. Read the series, the takeaways, and check out a map of orphan wells in the Houston area to find out how close one is to your home.
More energy news
Photo by: Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer
Some Texas Democrats are urging the EPA to reject the state's application to permit the construction of carbon capture facilities.
 Photo by: Bill Montgomery / Houston Chronicle | | The AI firm's expansion in Texas and the U.S. comes as utilities and grid operators are working to incorporate a growing amount of renewable energy into the country's power supply. | |
 Photo by: Elizabeth Conley, Staff Photographer | | Called "zombie wells" by some, unplugged legacy oil wells can spew climate-warming gasses and toxic waters. And it's coming at a steep cost for Texans. | |
 Photo by: Elizabeth Conley, Staff Photographer | | The problem of zombie wells threatens ranchers and groundwater resources in drought-prone West Texas, as well as the larger oil and gas industry. | |
 Photo by: Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer | | Remnants of densely drilled oil fields are scattered across East Texas towns such as Daisetta and in areas just north and south of Houston's inner Loop. But how many threats lay beneath the surface are unknown. | |
What We're Reading
As the New York Times reports, some energy experts say battery-powered vehicles will increasingly help keep the lights on and support electric grids, rather than straining them.
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