Thank you for visiting our website. We are working remotely with a limited staff and are no longer taking orphan well adoption applications online. On our website, you can learn more about our work and access our resources and information.
As of 2024, there were 2,642 orphan wells for decommissioning (abandonment) and 7,194 orphan sites for reclamation.[1] Unlike the Orphan Well Association (OWA), Orphan Well Adoption Agency (OWAA) extends the definition of orphan wells to include the 80,000+ inactive wells in Alberta that haven’t been properly closed and 70,000+ abandoned wells in Alberta that are not fully reclaimed.[2] Though these well sites are still under the responsibility of their company owner, we have included these wells so that they might find the recognition and care they deserve. With no time limits on how long a well can sit dormant, there may be no steps taken to reclaim these wells for years, though many could be hazardous.
Orphan Well Adoption Days allow members of the public to meet in person at one of our temporary offices with an Orphan Well Adoption Agency representative to learn more about this pressing issue and consider symbolically adopting an orphan well. Currently we have no upcoming adoption days but you can check back here for updates.
Things to consider before adopting an orphan well:
- What are your motivations for adopting an orphan well?
- Have you previously been the caretaker of an oil or gas well?
- Reclamation of well sites can take years and is expensive. According to Canada’s Parliamentary Budget Officer’s 2022 Report, the average cost to clean up a single well is estimated to be between $25,062 – $52,525 and the cost to clean up orphan wells nationally will rise to over $1 billion by 2025.[4] In 2019, the Alberta Liabilities Disclosure Project (ALDP) calculated the average cleanup cost as significantly higher, between $53,118 – $194,539 per well, based on an internal Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) study obtained through freedom of information laws.[5] And the AER’s $33 billion estimate for remaining well liabilities has been called too low by critics.[6]
- There is no payment required to adopt an orphan well through the OWAA. Over $1.7 billion in public funds have already contributed to the cost of orphan well clean-up in Canada.[3]
- The Orphan Fund Levy, paid into by the oil and gas industry, is intended to uphold the “polluter pays” principle, meaning the industry should cover its own cleanup costs. However, when look at numbers, it’s clear that the levy falls short. There is a lack of transparency about how the Alberta Energy Regulator sets and determines the levy resulting in calls for a public inquiry into Alberta’s oil and gas liability management approach.
- Navigating all of the issues related to orphan wells and oil and gas liabilities can be complicated. We recommend starting with “A Made-in-Alberta Failure: Unfunded Oil and Gas Closure Liability” by Drew Yewchuk, Shaun Fluker, and Martin Olszynski. SPP Research Papers, The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, vol. 16 (1), 11 Oct 2023 (available via our website’s Resources and Information section and in our OWAA Office).
- Caretakers will be required to sign the OWAA Consent, Release Waiver and Indemnity form. OWAA does not facilitate in-person meetings between wells and caretakers, however, we do encourage and facilitate mailed correspondence.
- While we make every attempt to reach all of our wells, some may be dormant and unreachable.
Orphan Well Adoption Agency 