The growing saga of abandoned wells in the Permian Basin

Ashley Williams Watt walks near a wellhead and flowline at her ranch, Friday, July 9, 2021, near Crane, Texas. The wells on Watt's property seem to be unplugging themselves. Some are leaking dangerous chemicals into the ground, which are seeping into her cattle's drinking water. And she doesn't know how long it's been going on. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

 

Thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells in the Permian Basin are the focus of growing attention—not just by landowners who have dealt with the issue for decades but by the media.

Now they call them “orphaned” wells. Regardless, the problem is the same—leaking and dangerous chemicals and gas.

Click here for an Associated Press story.