After months of uncertainty, Oklahoma set to receive millions to plug orphaned wells

Oklahoma may receive up to $102 million in federal funding to address abandoned oil and gas wells , according to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC). The agency was previously uncertain whether it would receive more dollars from the IIJA to clean up its more than 20,000 abandoned wells.

The anticipated grant money comes with revised guidelines from the U.S. Department of the Interior meant to deregulate and accelerate well plugging.

On July 17, the department announced states are no longer required to measure methane leakage before and after plugging. It also removed review requirements related to the Endangered Species Act and the National Historic Preservation Act.

“Eliminating the non-statutory requirement for a burdensome process created by the previous Adm