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Orphan wells pose significant environmental and health risks, as they can contaminate water sources with toxic substances such as methane, benzene, and other harmful chemicals. This article discusses how orphan wells contaminate water sources and explores the potential for sensor technologies to detect this contamination.
What are Orphan Wells and How Can They Contaminate Water Sources?
Oil and gas wells that have been abandoned by their owners and left uncapped, known as orphan wells, have the potential to release hazardous substances into surface and groundwater supplies, which can harm the environment and public health. Old orphaned wells may have degraded well casing allowing oil, gas, or salty water to leak into freshwater aquifers and pollute them.
Orphan wells have been a problem for many years in the oil and gas industry, and the number of such wells has been increasing since there are an estimated 2.6 million orphaned wells in the United States alone, with many more scattered around the world.
Methane and Benzene Pollutants
Orphan wells can contaminate water sources through methane leakage since it is a potent greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. It can contaminate drinking water sources causing health problems such […]
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