Oklahoma is among 21 states recently offered another $775 million in federal funding to clean up abandoned and low-producing oil and gas wells.
Oklahoma was offered up to $102.6 million but it’s not confirmed yet whether the state accepted the offer to continue plugging of thousands of orphan wells. OK Energy Today is awaiting word from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. One published report indicated the amount offered to Oklahoma could actually be less than the nearly $103 million due to negotiations for previous grant funds offered the state.
Texas is in the same category of negotiations and was offered $119.5 million for well-plugging operations to cut down on methane emissions.
However, other states with oil and gas production are getting millions more from the federal government to plug abandoned and older, low-producing oil and gas wells. But at least one state doesn’t want the money.
Colorado took the money. It received $12.6 million from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency to help cut methane emissions. EPA Region 8 Administrator KC Becker was in Colorado last week to announce the grant from the Methane Emissions Reduction Program, reported Colorado Newsline.
Wyoming was offered $35 million to help plug orphan oil and gas wells but turned down the funding. The Cowboy State Daily reported there was no explanation from Tom Kropatsch, oil and gas supervisor for the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. He also told the newspaper in an email his agency was not interested in the offer.
