BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WV News) — The president of the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia hopes the recently announced partnership between the state and Diversified Energy will inspire other companies.

The Mountain State Plugging Fund, a 20-year, $70 million commitment from Diversified to retire oil and gas wells in the state, could lead to other public-private collaborations, said Charlie Burd.

“Conceptually, what Rusty (Hutson) and Diversified have done is taken a huge step forward in thinking outside the box about how they can handle the plugging of wells,” Burd said. “I have a sense that this will be looked at closely, and there will likely be other companies that want to pursue this or some variation.”

Diversified Energy CEO Rusty Hutson Jr., during an event Thursday, said the

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