Canada’s PBO estimates there are around 10,000 orphan wells in Alberta and Saskatchewan
Western Canada’s inactive wells back in the spotlight
Orphan wells are growing in number, but high oil prices may present a good opportunity to tackle the problem
Canada’s independent Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) released a report at the end of January estimating the cost of cleaning up so-called orphan oil and gas wells in Western Canada through 2025. PBO estimates the figure required for cleaning up Alberta’s and Saskatchewan’s c.10,000 orphan wells—those with no viable operator capable of addressing their environmental liabilities—to have been C$361mn ($284mn) as of 2020. It expects this figure to rise to C$1.1bn by 2025 as more inactive wells become orphaned. The estimate has been widely criticised by academics and groups representing landowners negatively impacted by inactive wells, who claim it inadvertently minimises the scale of the prob
Also in this section
28 April 2026
Oil traders warning of $200/bl oil are wrong, and the market should be wary of proclamations that the impact of the oil shortage has only begun to be felt and a that a ‘harsh adjustment’ is coming—even for industrialised nations
28 April 2026
Restoring supply from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Iraq involves complexities far beyond simply adjusting operational controls
28 April 2026
Datacentres will guzzle power at a ferocious rate, but the impact on wider energy markets will be far more complex than previously thought
28 April 2026
The key energy player faces balancing regional routes, political complexities, and creating a clear strategic vision for energy security
