Thursday, June 8, 2023
Change Oracle Logo
  • Climate Change
    • Greenhouse Gas Emissions
    • Biodiversity
    • Wildfires
    • Extreme Weather
  • Energy
    • Renewables
    • Nuclear Power
    • Fossil Fuels
  • Politics
    • American Politics
    • Canadian Politics
    • International Politics
  • Social Change
    • Activism
    • Disinformation
    • Education
    • Psychology
    • Gender Equality
  • Business and Economics
    • Leadership
    • Decarbonization
    • Economics
    • Supply Chains
    • Investing
  • Technology
    • Carbon Removal
    • Carbon Capture
    • Transportation
    • Buildings
    • Food
No Result
View All Result
  • Climate Change
    • Greenhouse Gas Emissions
    • Biodiversity
    • Wildfires
    • Extreme Weather
  • Energy
    • Renewables
    • Nuclear Power
    • Fossil Fuels
  • Politics
    • American Politics
    • Canadian Politics
    • International Politics
  • Social Change
    • Activism
    • Disinformation
    • Education
    • Psychology
    • Gender Equality
  • Business and Economics
    • Leadership
    • Decarbonization
    • Economics
    • Supply Chains
    • Investing
  • Technology
    • Carbon Removal
    • Carbon Capture
    • Transportation
    • Buildings
    • Food
No Result
View All Result
Change Oracle Logo
No Result
View All Result
Home Energy

Abandoned Oil Wells Leaking Methane and other Contaminants

by Richard Matthews
August 14, 2020
in Energy, Fossil Fuels, Other
0

Methane may be less visible than oil spills but it is another serious corollary of fossil fuel extraction. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. According to a 2020 special report by Reuters, millions of abandoned wells are leaking methane. This report indicates that it is difficult if not impossible to hold companies accountable after they fold or sell a well. Across the U.S. the number of abandoned wells has increased by more than 12 percent since 2008 according to the EPA. The spate of fossil fuel industry bankruptcies we are seeing in 2020 is increasing the number of abandoned wells.

These wells not only contribute to climate change and contaminate both groundwater and soil. These orphaned wells are sources of dangerous levels of arsenic, sulfate, benzene and chloride and methane leaks can explode as was evident at a construction site in Marina del Rey, California last year.

In Canada 313,000 abandoned wells emitted 10.1 kilotons of methane in 2018. In the U.S. more than 3.2 million abandoned oil and gas wells emitted 281 kilotons of methane in 2018, according to an April 14th EPA report. However, the EPA concedes that the actual amount could be as much as 843 kilotons. There is no publicly available data on methane leakage from other large oil producing countries. Reuters estimates that there could be as many as 29 million abandoned wells around the world emitting 2.5 million tons of methane each year. Some of these wells have been leaking methane for a century.

Although bonding can help to provide funding for clean-up efforts, the American Petroleum Institute (API) is actively lobbying on Capitol Hill to kill such bonding requirements.  According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office the cost of cleaning up all of America’s abandoned wells is somewhere between $60 – $435 billion.

President Obama first proposed methane rules in 2015. After the Porter Ranch methane leak and numerous reports that demonstrate massive methane emissions associated with fracking, the Obama administration formally imposed rules to reign-in these emissions. However, The Trump administration has systematically advocated on behalf of the fossil fuel industry including a failed attempt to kill an Obama-era methane rule.  Their loosening of rules and lax oversight have significantly increased the amount of methane in the atmosphere.

ShareTweet
Previous Post

The Symbiotic Relationship Between Trump and the Fossil Fuel Industry

Next Post

Virtual Event – Sustainability Week 2020: Disruption as a Catalyst for Action

Related Posts

Fossil Fuel Cop Creep

by Richard Matthews
June 6, 2023
0

After years of insinuating itself into the COP process, a petrostate will host the COP28 climate talks later this year, and an oil company CEO will be the presiding president....

Fossil Fuels Have No Place at Climate Talks

by Richard Matthews
April 30, 2023
0

Fossil fuels are at the center of the controversy surrounding the 2023 United Nations climate change conference known as COP28.   The precedent-setting host of this year’s UN Climate Conference of...

State of Global Environmental Governance Issues 2023

by Richard Matthews
March 23, 2023
0

Environmental governance provides frameworks for the complex, multifaceted political, social, and economic actions required to address the polycrisis.  The urgency of the need for expedited action makes environmental governance more important than...

Next Post

Virtual Event - Sustainability Week 2020: Disruption as a Catalyst for Action

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • SoundCloud

Subscribe to the Blog

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuel Cop Creep

by Richard Matthews
June 6, 2023
0

After years of insinuating itself into the COP process, a petrostate will host the COP28 climate talks later this year,...

Read more

Fossil Fuel Industry Delays Climate Action With Disinformation

May 16, 2023

Fossil Fuels Have No Place at Climate Talks

April 30, 2023

Implementing Biophysical Socioeconomics: Ontology and Epistemology in Ecological Economics

April 3, 2023

State of Global Environmental Governance Issues 2023

March 23, 2023
  • About
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Business and Economics
  • Politics
  • Technology
  • Social Change
  • Events
  • Other

© 2021 Copyright The Green Market Oracle.

No Result
View All Result
  • Business and Economics
    • Leadership
    • Supply Chains
  • Economics
  • Energy
    • Renewables
    • Nuclear Power
    • Fossil Fuels
  • Climate Change
    • Greenhouse Gas Emissions
    • Biodiversity
    • Extreme Weather
    • Wildfires
  • Investing
  • Politics
    • American Politics
    • Canadian Politics
    • International Politics
  • Technology
    • Buildings
    • Carbon Capture
    • Food
    • Transportation
  • Social Change
    • Education
    • Activism
    • Psychology

© 2021 Copyright The Green Market Oracle.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In