As defined by the Orphan Well Association (OWA), an orphan is “a well, pipeline, facility or associated site that does not have a legally responsible and/or financially viable party to deal with its decommissioning and reclamation responsibilities”.¹ These sites can contaminate land, water, and life, with remediation efforts that could last up to a decade or longer. As the oil and gas industry continues to endure rocky times, the orphanage steadily grows. As of July 1, 2024, there are over 2,642 orphan sites for decommissioning, 1,532 orphan pipelines, and 7,194 for reclamation.²

Unlike the OWA, OWAA extends the definition of orphan wells to include the 97,000 inactive wells that need to be abandoned (meaning properly closed and capped) and 71,000 abandoned wells in Alberta that are in need of reclamation (meaning they need to be cleaned up).³ Though these well sites are still under the responsibility of their company caretaker, we have included these wells so that they find the repair and care that they deserve. With no time limits on how long a well can sit dormant, there seems to be no caretaking plan for these wells. While they may be hazardous, we have no way of confirming the health of the wells without proper testing and monitoring.

Interested in becoming a caretaker? Over 1 Billion of public funding has been put towards orphan wells To date, OWAA has found symbolic caretakers for over 100 orphan wells in so-called Alberta. Please check back for upcoming opportunities to visit one of our pop-up offices or fill out our online application. You can also view the orphan well portraits below and visit our Resources and Information section. A correspondence section sharing letters between wells and caretakers is coming soon.

1. “Orphan Well Association Frequently Asked Questions.” Orphan Well Association, 2021, www.orphanwell.ca/FAQ

2. Orphan Inventory.” Orphan Well Association, 2021, www.orphanwell.ca/about/orphan-inventory

3. “Oil and Gas Liabilities Management.” Alberta, Government of Alberta, 2021, www.alberta.ca/oil-and-gas-liabilities-management.aspx Accessed January 20, 2021.