Get Oil Wells Plugging Kansas Corporation Commission Form

The KCC's Conservation Division regulates oil and natural gas production in the state. Its mission is to protect correlative rights and environmental resources with effective regulatory oversight of oil and natural gas exploration and production activities, and intrastate gas storage.

A well is plugged by placing cement in the well​bore or casing at certain intervals, as specified in California laws or regulations. The purpose of the cement is to seal the well-bore or casing and prevent fluid from migrating between underground rock layers.

An oil or gas well is plugged and abandoned when it reaches the end of its useful life or becomes a dry hole. These operations include activities and tasks that present hazards to workers.

WHAT DANGER DOES AN ABANDONED WELL POSE? Over time, the amount of oil and gas a company can extract from a well declines. At that point, many operators will cap a well to seal it temporarily. Sometimes, wells sit in that “idle” or “inactive” state for months or even years.

Plug and Abandonment (P&A) of a well involves plugging back a wellbore and temporarily securing it for a few months to years or permanently with an eternal perspective in mind. In most areas, the retirement of assets is outlined by the national regulatory agency.

The median cost of plugging a well without restoring the surface is about $20,000. Plugging and reclaiming the surface around the well—which may be done for aesthetic, environmental, or job creation reasons—increases the median cost to $76,000. Each additional 1,000 feet of well depth increases costs by 20 percent.

Working interest (typically the remaining 7/8ths or 87.5 percent) owners are responsible for operating and maintaining the oil and gas wells. Upon abandonment, they are responsible for the proper plugging and abandonment of the well.