Full Title: Marginal Wells 101: What Are They, Where Are They, and Why Do We Need to Assess Them?
Author(s): Marissa DeLang, Lauren Schmeisser, Deborah Gordon, Carmela Chaney, and Lottie Mitchell
Publisher(s): Rocky Mountain Institute
Publication Date: April 23, 2025
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Over half a million oil and gas wells in the United States produced 15 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) or less daily in 2023 (according to RMI analysis using Enverus and Rextag). These low-producing wells, called marginal wells, comprise three-quarters of all US oil- and gas-producing wells. At most, these wells extract less than 630 gallons a day — enough to fill just eight bathtubs. But most of these wells produce far less than that. Almost half of marginal wells are submarginal wells or “micro producers” that produce one BOE or less per day — not enough to fill one bathtub.
Marginal wells are often overlooked. While government records generally have their location, volume, owner, and operator, marginal wells are often hidden in plain sight, receiving little attention from communities and regulators. These wells, like all oil and gas systems, are a significant source of methane, which causes fires and explosions, contributes to smog, and heats the planet over 80 times more powerfully than carbon dioxide.
Marginal wells also emit dangerous air toxins and volatile organic compounds (including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and hydrogen sulfide) that can sicken people by polluting air, water, and land. The effects on surrounding communities can amount to far greater impacts than the marginal economic benefits gained. And nearly one in ten Americans live in a county with over 1,000 marginal wells.
The small production volumes of marginal wells can make their operations highly emissions intensive and wasteful. Given their massive numbers and heightened risk of being abandoned, targeted measurement, greater transparency, and stricter oversight are merited.