U OF C STUDY

Study finds abandoned oil and gas wells place unfair burden on landowners, taxpayers

May 20, 2021 | 5:03 AM

CALGARY — A report from the University of Calgary says the costs of Alberta’s growing stock of abandoned and inactive oil and gas wells are falling unfairly on landowners and taxpayers.

Braeden Larson of the university’s School of Public Policy says the scope of the problem is growing rapidly.

He says more than half of all oil and gas wells in the province no longer produce but haven’t been cleaned up. 

Over the last six years, the number of inactive wells has quintupled and those wells are staying quiet for longer — more than half have been inactive for more than a decade.