Studies show that abandoned oil and gas wells are emitting methane, a potent greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere and are likely impacting our groundwater, soils, and ecosystems. To design cost-effective strategies for mitigating and managing environmental and climate impacts of abandoned wells, it is important to understand factors linked to leaky wells, particularly those that are very leaky and emitting gases at high rates. In this talk, I will present data on available measurements of methane emissions from abandoned oil and gas wells across Canada and the U.S. and discuss implications on national greenhouse gas emission estimates and mitigation strategies.
Prof. Mary Kang
Professor Kang’s main research areas are groundwater hydrology and environmental impacts of subsurface-based energy development. Application areas include groundwater impacts and greenhouse gas emissions related to oil and gas development and geologic storage of carbon dioxide. Her current projects involve (1) the development of analytical, numerical, and combined analytical-numerical multi-scale models of multi-phase flow through porous media, (2) field measurements of gas fluxes, and (3) geospatial and statistical data analysis. Fluids of interest include carbon dioxide, methane and other hydrocarbons, and water.