DocumentWVECJuly 19, 2022 Orphaned Well Plugging West Virginia has over 6,500 orphaned oil and gas wells. An abandoned well is defined as one that has not been produced in 12 months. An orphaned well is one that no longer produces and the driller has gone out of business. With no operator, the expense and effort to plug them falls to the landowner or the taxpayers. The cost of plugging these wells is estimated around 125,000 but can depend on depth, age, condition and location. More Issues: Orphaned wells
