Articles by

Judson Boomhower

Orphan Wells in California – An Initial Assessment of the State’s Potential Liabilities

By

Judson Boomhower

The analysis finds that 5,540 wells in California may already have no viable operator, and that the potential net liability for the State appears to be about $500 million, after subtracting available bonds. An additional 69,425 economically marginal and idle wells could become orphaned in the future.