Geothermal potential of orphan oil and gas wells

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Abstract

The United States is estimated to have hundreds of thousands of orphan oil and gas wells. Orphan wells are abandoned wells that are both unremediated and have no responsible operator. While traditionally considered environmental and economic liabilities, orphan oil and gas wells may offer new opportunities in sustainable geothermal energy development. This study evaluates the potential of repurposing orphan wells for geothermal energy production. We analyzed more than 1.4 million bottom-hole temperature (BHT) records from oil and gas well logs to create corrected temperature-depth profiles in a grid across the United States. Total depth values, where available, in documented orphan wells from a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) database were then correlated to these temperature-depth profiles to estimate a corrected BHT for each orphan well. The orphan wells were then categorized as having low (<90°C), moderate (90–150°C), and high (>150°C) geothermal potential, identifying them as wells in the U.S. that could be used to access geothermal resources. In addition, repurposing these wells could contribute to broader environmental and economic goals, including well remediation, rogue methane emissions reduction, and energy production. This study provides a framework for integrating inactive well inventories with geothermal resource assessments and further highlights the potential for orphan wells to play a transformative role in expanding geothermal energy capacity in the United States.

Suggested Citation

Gardner, R., Birdwell, J.E., Merrill, M., Wiens, A.M., Haase, K., Gianoutsos, N.J., Lei, U.I., Sullivan, P., 2025, Geothermal potential of orphan oil and gas wells, in Using the Earth to save the Earth, v. 49, p. 1826-1833.

Study Area

Publication type Conference Paper
Publication Subtype Conference Paper
Title Geothermal potential of orphan oil and gas wells
Volume 49
Publication Date December 01, 2025
Year Published 2025
Language English
Publisher Geothermal Resources Council
Contributing office(s) Central Energy Resources Science Center
Description 8 p.
Larger Work Type Book
Larger Work Subtype Conference publication
Larger Work Title Using the Earth to save the Earth
First page 1826
Last page 1833
Country United States
Other Geospatial contiguous United States
Additional publication details