"Orphaned" Wells In Texas

There are at least 3.5 million abandoned oil and gas wells across the country, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. Known in some areas as “zombie wells,” they can spew carcinogenic chemicals, harmful greenhouse gasses, and have been blamed for some home explosions. The U.S. Geological Survey has documented nearly 120,000 “orphaned wells” - a subset of abandoned wells that often have no known legally viable owner and are generally considered the worst polluters - across 27 states. Below are the locations of known orphaned wells in your area and across your state, as identified in U.S. Geological Survey data. Hover or click on a site for location/GPS details.