Foundation plans to plug 24 ‘orphan wells’ in northern Montana [Video]

GREAT FALLS — The Well Done Foundation, a national nonprofit whose mission is to plug orphaned oil and gas wells across the United States, announced this week its plans to plug 24 legacy orphan wells in Toole County and Glacier County in 2024.

An orphaned oil well is a well that was once used by oil and gas drilling companies to retrieve those fossil fuels from the earth, but has since been abandoned. Companies can decide to orphan wells for a number of reasons, including struggling oil prices and bankruptcy.

The Well Done Foundation said in a news release that last year, with the help of Calgary-based 360 Environmental Engineering and North Dakota-based Precision Well Services, the WDF plugged a total of 12 orphan wells in Montana, seven of which were included as part of its 2023 Montana Legacy Project.

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