The $30 Billion Methane Spewing Oil Well Problem in the Gulf of Mexico.

A study published in Nature Energy found that there are 14,000 orphaned oil and gas wells in waters throughout the Gulf of Mexico’s waters and in Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas. Unplugged oil and gas wells can leak methane, a potent greenhouse gas that builds up in the atmosphere. Plugging the wells would prevent environmental damage, but that could cost up to $30 billion, the researchers found. About 13,000 of these abandoned and unplugged wells are in federal or state shallow waters. The study authors explained that those wells should be prioritized for plugging.