3 ms·
I know you were being edgy with that, but there are very strict rules for decommissioning oil wells that generally consist of plugging the well with a special c
by ratsmack 6y ago
I know you were being edgy with that, but there are very strict rules for decommissioning oil wells that generally consist of plugging the well with a special concrete and then removing the pipe to about 20 feet below the surface. There are considerable resources covering this if you are interested.
- ip26 6y agoMy mistake, I was talking about orphaned wells, not abandoned wells.
- CobrastanJorji 6y agoSure, but that's also a relevant rebuttal to this hit piece, since it's specifically complaining that concrete (and just concrete) is left in the ground when one is removed.
- ratsmack 6y agoI should also note that US oil drillers have to post a bond that will ensure there will be funds available to decommission the well when the time comes. Maybe this should be done for all green energy also as there is a significant amount of non-recyclable waste involved in decommissioning windmills and solar farms.
- ip26 6y agoIf only the bond was actually enough to cover decommissioning.
- moistly 6y agoLOL. Tell that to Alberta, with its $47 billion worth of orphan wells, some 50000 of them unreclaimed. “A report from the Alberta Energy Regulator shows that, since 1963, there have been more than 440,000 wells drilled in the province, and only 67,000 have been sealed up through the oil and gas industry’s abandonment process.”