Almost ‘orphans’: Why Colorado’s low-producing oil wells could become the state’s responsibility

FRONT RANGE, Colo. — Colorado is currently cleaning up almost 1,000 old oil and gas wells left behind by operators unable or unwilling to cover the costs and effort. It’s already a big, expensive job, but the backlog of so-called “orphan” wells may soon grow.

Denver7 Investigates found that thousands of low-producing wells, still on the books as “active,” are nearing the end of production and teetering on the edge of becoming the state’s responsibility. These older wells are more expensive to maintain and have slimmer profit margins, often leading to leaks and spills from aging equipment, with risks to health and the environment.

Many of these low-producing wells are scattered around the Front Range, often near homes, farms and schools.

To uncover the potential threats posed by old, unplugged wells, Denver7 Investigates partnered with ABC News Investigates and local news stations across the country. This nationwide investigation, Zombie Wells: The Threat Beneath, tested a total of 76 wells across five states and found that more than half were leaking oil or combustible gas at the time.

Denver7 Investigates went out to more than a dozen well locations in northern Colorado to check for leaks. We were equipped with a handheld gas detector and a safety device that monitors ambient air quality. These devices can detect hundreds of combustible gases, including climate-warming methane.

We tested some wells known as “orphans” – deserted by their operators, leaving the state to clean them up. At these well locations, which are already under Colorado’s care, we did not find any emissions detected by our monitors.

But when we visited low-producing wells, we found potential problems.

Read more and watch the video on Denver7.com