Plugging Abandoned Wells
The average cost to plug and abandon an oil & gas well is between $20k and $140k. Although little economic value comes from this work, it is a necessary and final step in the full-cycle of an oil & gas well.
In order to properly plug an oil & gas well, service providers must first remove any equipment that is still within the wellbore or connected at surface. If valuable strata (groundwater) are not protected, cement must be pumped between the holes casing and the earth to seal those zones. Finally, plugs are set along the wellbore and the well is capped at the surface. It is critical to maintain the integrity of both the wellbore and the plugs long-term to ensure no pollutants migrate up or down the well bore.