Project Profile: Orphaned Wells at Big Thicket National Preserve

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Orphaned Wells | FY23 $550,000

Current Status: Completed February 2024

One orphaned well/production site before it was reclaimed and remediated. Wellhead was cracked and leaking methane as well as tanks onsite were halfway filled with production fluid. These conditions created impacts to park resources.

NPS / Andrew Bennett

The National Park Service (NPS) and TX-Railroad Commission (TX-RRC) restored, enhanced and conserved habitat by plugging, abandoning and reclaiming seven orphaned well sites within Big Thicket National Preserve. The project adhered to State and Federal regulatory requirements for oil and gas operations and met conservation needs.

Why? Orphaned oil and gas wells and sites located in Big Thicket National Preserve posed threats to human safety as well as potential environmental risks. If left unmitigated, these risks could have increased with time, as would the financial cost to address them.

What else? The NPS and TX-RRC had the compatible goal of ensuring that orphaned oil and gas wells located within Big Thicket NP were properly plugged and abandoned and that associated disturbed areas were reclaimed. This project resulted in the removal of well casings and wells properly plugged to current federal and state regulatory standards, clearing of facility equipment, surface pipe and trash and safety hazards, blending of wellsites into surrounding undisturbed surface, and reestablishment of vegetation free of invasive or noxious weeds.

Outcome: Of the seven anticipated, three orphaned wells were successfully plugged and reclaimed. In addition, another three orphaned wellsites were reclaimed and contamination at those sites was mitigated. One FY22 funded orphaned well project is still under planning stages from the extreme access issues. NPS worked with Texas Railroad Commission to plan, design, and implement the plugging and reclamation of these projects. One site, the Arco Rafferty #2, was heavily contaminated with heavy metals. Decontamination procedures were successful at restoring the area to pre-operation conditions.

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Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes critical investments in the resilience and restoration of America’s lands, skies, and waters, and enhances conservation and recreation opportunities. Visitors will see tangible results such as repaired and upgraded trails and campgrounds, removal of invasive species, as well as healthy wetlands, grasslands, and forests.