The charts below evaluate liability and bond amounts on a state level. Data was sourced from Enverus and State departments responsible for P&A bonding data. Data is updated through September 2020.
On this page:
- Top 10 largest operators, by expected liability, and Top 10 largest operators, inactive wells
- Breakdown of Vintage of Wells
- Total bond amount, Total liability amount, bonding ratio
- Focus Area: Colorado Blanket Bonds
Top 10 largest operators, by expected liability, and Top 10 largest operators, inactive wells
Alaska
California
Colorado
Louisiana
North Dakota
New Mexico
Ohio
![](https://carbontracker.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Ohio-1024x408.png)
Oklahoma
![](https://carbontracker.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Oklahoma-1-1024x389.png)
Pennsylvania
![](https://carbontracker.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Penn-1024x368.png)
Texas
![](https://carbontracker.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Texas-1-1024x394.png)
Utah
West Virginia
Wyoming
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Breakdown of Vintage of Wells
Well Type | # Wells | Estimated cost | % of cost |
Alaska | |||
Producing | 2,150 | $559,577,951 | 47% |
Stripper | 245 | $60,042,279 | 5% |
Injection + other | 1,779 | $416,106,047 | 35% |
TA (LP>24<60) | 195 | $49,498,166 | 4% |
Zombie (LP>60) | 436 | $108,212,716 | 9% |
TOTAL | 4,805 | $1,193,437,159 | 100% |
California | |||
Producing | 5,372 | $399,384,929 | 6% |
Stripper | 18,283 | $1,226,280,016 | 19% |
Injection + other | 66,321 | $3,384,640,904 | 53% |
TA (LP>24<60) | 4,135 | $299,900,842 | 5% |
Zombie (LP>60) | 13,173 | $1,052,108,967 | 17% |
TOTAL | 107,284 | $6,362,315,657 | 100% |
Colorado | |||
Producing | 13,425 | $1,969,672,557 | 24% |
Stripper | 29,907 | $4,014,022,255 | 48% |
Injection + other | 11,351 | $1,598,627,847 | 19% |
TA (LP>24<60) | 3,056 | $483,875,187 | 6% |
Zombie (LP>60) | 1,972 | $232,117,612 | 3% |
TOTAL | 59,711 | $8,298,315,458 | 100% |
Louisiana | |||
Producing | 5,874 | $1,616,822,685 | 15% |
Stripper | 27,770 | $2,946,946,978 | 28% |
Injection + other | 18,773 | $3,162,615,877 | 30% |
TA (LP>24<60) | 4,212 | $585,921,117 | 6% |
Zombie (LP>60) | 14,411 | $2,210,737,888 | 21% |
TOTAL | 71,040 | $10,523,044,545 | 100% |
North Dakota | |||
Producing | 12,957 | $3,745,190,641 | 46% |
Stripper | 5,009 | $1,174,492,632 | 14% |
Injection + other | 11,703 | $3,056,601,700 | 37% |
TA (LP>24<60) | 322 | $80,036,489 | 1% |
Zombie (LP>60) | 504 | $110,137,327 | 1% |
TOTAL | 30,495 | $8,166,458,789 | 100% |
New Mexico | |||
Producing | 12,542 | $2,176,315,206 | 21% |
Stripper | 38,507 | $4,792,230,282 | 45% |
Injection + other | 19,459 | $3,237,137,679 | 31% |
TA (LP>24<60) | 1,376 | $154,793,661 | 1% |
Zombie (LP>60) | 1,866 | $200,093,213 | 2% |
TOTAL | 73,750 | $10,560,570,042 | 100% |
Ohio | |||
Producing | 2,617 | $577,276,283 | 5% |
Stripper | 38,511 | $3,123,159,651 | 25% |
Injection + other | 93,014 | $5,991,701,544 | 48% |
TA (LP>24<60) | 8,494 | $627,231,458 | 5% |
Zombie (LP>60) | 28,766 | $2,163,831,975 | 17% |
TOTAL | 171,402 | $12,483,200,912 | 100% |
Oklahoma | |||
Producing | 12,740 | $2,867,989,084 | 9% |
Stripper | 61,476 | $8,287,616,961 | 26% |
Injection + other | 157,476 | $14,993,064,144 | 48% |
TA (LP>24<60) | 11,037 | $1,345,148,000 | 4% |
Zombie (LP>60) | 42,743 | $3,883,288,658 | 12% |
TOTAL | 285,472 | $31,377,106,847 | 100% |
Pennsylvania | |||
Producing | 9,971 | $1,619,558,856 | 13% |
Stripper | 70,042 | $5,005,494,960 | 41% |
Injection + other | 49,050 | $4,100,144,528 | 34% |
TA (LP>24<60) | 8,422 | $559,386,368 | 5% |
Zombie (LP>60) | 13,817 | $875,850,950 | 7% |
TOTAL | 151,302 | $12,160,435,661 | 100% |
Texas | |||
Producing | 66,740 | $15,218,977,456 | 16% |
Stripper | 234,282 | $37,017,668,172 | 38% |
Injection + other | 189,924 | $27,742,143,057 | 29% |
TA (LP>24<60) | 25,786 | $3,856,141,772 | 4% |
Zombie (LP>60) | 103,766 | $13,046,981,510 | 13% |
TOTAL | 620,498 | $96,881,911,968 | 100% |
Utah | |||
Producing | 2,839 | $613,882,358 | 14% |
Stripper | 9,299 | $1,625,850,549 | 37% |
Injection + other | 9,190 | $1,759,155,242 | 40% |
TA (LP>24<60) | 893 | $140,638,546 | 3% |
Zombie (LP>60) | 1,885 | $245,493,151 | 6% |
TOTAL | 24,106 | $4,385,019,847 | 100% |
West Virginia | |||
Producing | 3,163 | $473,404,390 | 6% |
Stripper | 53,823 | $4,153,636,486 | 54% |
Injection + other | 42,003 | $2,920,922,288 | 38% |
TA (LP>24<60) | 951 | $64,106,608 | 1% |
Zombie (LP>60) | 504 | $32,595,930 | 0% |
TOTAL | 100,444 | $7,644,665,702 | 100% |
Wyoming | |||
Producing | 11,561 | $2,763,639,558 | 29% |
Stripper | 20,011 | $2,824,480,721 | 30% |
Injection + other | 20,495 | $3,084,126,952 | 33% |
TA (LP>24<60) | 3,421 | $339,623,094 | 4% |
Zombie (LP>60) | 7,091 | $415,431,442 | 4% |
TOTAL | 62,579 | $9,427,301,766 | 100% |
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Total bond amount, Total liability amount, bonding ratio
State | CTI Liability Estimate ($B) | CTI Bonding Estimate ($) | Bonding Ratio (%) |
Alaska | 1.2 | 57,750,000 | 5% |
California | 6.4 | 117,601,580 | 2% |
Colorado | 8.3 | 162,276,065 | 2% |
Louisiana | 10.5 | 504,204,429 | 5% |
New Mexico | 10.6 | 97,992,704 | 1% |
North Dakota | 8.2 | 83,350,000 | 1% |
Ohio | 12.5 | 22,353,710 | 0% |
Oklahoma | 31.4 | 62,281,698 | 0% |
Pennsylvania | 12.2 | 47,178,549 | 0% |
Texas | 96.9 | N/A | N/A |
Utah | 4.4 | 18,708,450 | 0% |
West Virginia | 7.6 | 28,733,376 | 0% |
Wyoming | 9.4 | 194,159,090 | 2% |
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Focus Area: Colorado Blanket Bonds
Can industry afford more financial assurance for its wells?
The numbers suggest they can.
On a combined basis, the top 10 operators in Colorado cover plugging liability on 31,707 wells through blanket bonds — that’s 62% of the total number of unplugged wells in the state. The face value of those bonds is a mere $1,000,000. Typical industry premiums are 1%, so these operators pay a mere $10,000 per year in premiums — an average of $0.32 per well.
Top Ten Operators | Number of Unplugged Wells* 62% of Unplugged Wells | Blanket Bond Coverage | Estimated Annual Premium 1% | Average Blanket Bond Coverage Per Well | Average Annual Blanket Bond Premium Per Well |
31,707 | $1,000,000 | $10,000 | $32 | $0.32 | |
TEP ROCKY MOUNTAIN LLC | 5,444 | $100,000 | $1,000 | $18 | $0.18 |
NOBLE ENERGY | 4,803 | $100,000 | $1,000 | $21 | $0.21 |
KERR MCGEE | 4,952 | $100,000 | $1,000 | $20 | $0.20 |
CAERUS PICEANCE LLC** | 4,326 | $100,000 | $1,000 | $23 | $0.23 |
PDC ENERGY INC | 3,409 | $100,000 | $1,000 | $29 | $0.29 |
EVERGREEN NATURAL RESOURCES LLC | 2,263 | $100,000 | $1,000 | $44 | $0.44 |
OWN RESOURCES OPERATING LLC | 1,814 | $100,000 | $1,000 | $55 | $0.55 |
FOUNDATION ENERGY MANAGEMENT LLC | 1,684 | $100,000 | $1,000 | $59 | $0.59 |
CRESTONE PEAK RESOURCES OPERATING LLC | 1,536 | $100,000 | $1,000 | $65 | $0.65 |
LARAMIE ENERGY LLC | 1,476 | $100,000 | $1,000 | $68 | $0.68 |