Well Done Foundation Announces Collaboration with US Fish and Wildlife Service to Plug Over 110 Orphan Wells Beginning in 2025

WDF awarded $19.2 million grant to Plug and Reclaim Orphan Wells Across Four National Wildlife Refuges

BOZEMAN, Mont., Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Well Done Foundation (WDF), a national nonprofit whose mission is to plug orphaned oil and gas wells across the United States, today announced a collaboration between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Well Done New Mexico LLC (WDNM) and the Well Done Foundation (WDF), in a groundbreaking effort to restore and conserve critical habitats across four National Wildlife Refuges. The initiative will focus on plugging more than 110 orphaned oil and gas wells and reclaiming the well sites that will protect refuge visitors, subsurface and surface waters, wetlands, protected species, and sensitive natural resources in the Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge and the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma, the Hailstone National Wildlife Refuge in Montana and the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon.

"We are humbled and honored to be a part of this critical effort to restore our nation's precious wildlife refuges," said Curtis Shuck, Founder and Chairman of the Board at WDF. "By collaborating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we're ensuring that orphaned oil and gas wells are properly and permanently sealed, and the impacted areas reclaimed, protecting not only wildlife habitats but also the public and the surrounding environment. This project is an important step in restoring the balance between natural ecosystems and built environments, and we are committed to doing our part for future generations, one well at a time."

This collaboration will address the safety hazards and environmental risks posed by legacy orphaned oil and gas wells located on refuge lands. WDF will locate documented and undocumented orphan wells, tank batteries, surface structures and product flow lines. Survey, permit and establish access. Install and maintain erosion and spill control measures. Perform pre- and post-plug methane emissions and water quality testing. Remove and dispose of contaminated soil. Plug and abandon orphan oil and gas wells in accordance with state requirements and industry best practices. Restore and remediate impacted surface areas and perform annual post plug monitoring.

Properly plugging and abandoning these orphan wells, and reclaiming affected sites, will result in the USFWS and WDF eliminating these risks, protecting both public and private resources, safeguarding wildlife and critical habitats, and enhancing the overall visitor experience at the refuges. By building upon the WDF's workforce development, training and volunteer programs, they will be able to engage with other nonprofits, educational institutions and local tribes for internships and new volunteer opportunities to support access, awareness and help enhance our public lands. Since 2019, the WDF has plugged more than 46 high-priority orphan wells in 5 states. The plugging of these orphan wells has eliminated methane emissions measured at over 1.5 million metric tons, making a difference one well at a time. 

About Well Done Foundation 

A nonprofit formed in 2019, the Well Done Foundation's mission is to fight climate change by plugging the estimated 2.15 million orphaned oil and gas wells in the United States. The WDF works with farmers and landowners, local and state government, corporations, and other nonprofits to locate the orphaned wells, measure and document methane and CO₂ emissions, plug the wells, and restore the surface areas to their original state. For more information visit welldonefoundation.org. 

About US Fish and Wildlife Service

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the premier federal agency dedicated to the conservation, protection, and enhancement of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. As part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Service manages the National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses more than 850 million acres of lands and waters across the country. Through its programs and partnerships, the USFWS works to ensure the continued benefit of these natural resources for the American people. For more information, please visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's official website at www.fws.gov.

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SOURCE Well Done Foundation