Researchers Discover Method to Seal Orphaned Oil Wells

Researchers at Iowa State University have found a cost-effective way to both fill old oil and gas wells and reduce planet-heating pollution at the same time.

In a published paper, the Iowa State University researchers examined the potential for using biofuels made from plant waste to fill up orphaned wells that had formerly been used to extract oil and natural gas.The researchers believe that the process would help solve two problems at once: securing dangerous and environmentally hazardous abandoned wells while also sequestering heat-trapping carbon.

The biofuels would be produced using organic waste from agricultural fields and forests. During photosynthesis, living plants pull carbon from the air and store it in their leaves, stalks, branches, and trunks.As a result, unused plant materials such as discarded corn stalks and debris from forests contain large amounts of carbon. By converting this organic waste into biofuels, and then pumping the biofuels into out-of-service wells, this carbon can effectively be stored underground.

“On the one hand, you have these underutilized waste products,” said Mark Mba-Wright, who led the team performing the research, according to Iowa State’s website. “On the other hand, you have abandoned oil wells that need to be plugged. It’s an abundant resource meeting an urgent demand.”

In the study, Mba-Wright’s research team demonstrated not only that this process is feasible but also cost-competitive compared to other carbon sequestration options. Additionally, using organic waste could prove to be an economic boon for rural communities. The study was funded in part by Charm Industrial, a San Francisco-based startup which has already struck several carbon-removal deals with large corporations to use vacant wells to permanently store bio-oils. Companies increasingly seek carbon-removal credits to meet commitments to reduce emissions, said Peter Reinhardt, CEO and co-founder of Charm Industrial.  “We hear it time and again: after taking a close look among their options, leading carbon-removal buyers find that bio-oil sequestration represents one of the highest-quality and most cost-effective approaches,” Reinhardt said.

Charm approached Iowa State seeking an independent and detailed assessment of the system’s potential, Mba-Wright said.  With hundreds of thousands of hazardous, uncapped abandoned oil and gas wells pockmarking the U.S. landscape, the new process could represent a win for safety, the environment, and the economy.

Feds select Turner & Townsend for complex Faro Mine remediation project

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) has selected Turner & Townsend to monitor and analyze the cost and schedule to deliver a new water treatment plant as part of the Faro Mine Remediation Project.

The Faro Mine was once the largest lead-zinc open pit mine in the world until it closed in 1998. The Government of Canada is working to remediate the site, advancing critical works to stabilize and begin restoring the environment.

Turner & Townsend’s energy and natural resources team will support the Faro Mine Remediation Project by providing independent third-party cost and analysis services to ensure financial and schedule control during the delivery of the Faro Mine Water Treatment Plant.

The development of the new water treatment plant will not only protect human and environmental health and safety, but also support the Project’s objective to create local employment opportunities.

“We look forward to supporting the Faro Mine Remediation Project with this large mine remediation, bringing our global experience to bear to help ensure this project is a success,” said David Isherwood, Director – North American Mining lead at Turner & Townsend. “Mining of materials like zinc is an essential part of the global economy, but it’s also crucial that this is done in a sustainable way, and the long-term remediation of sites is at the heart of this.

Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 people in more than 60 countries. Working with clients across real estate, infrastructure, energy and natural resources, Turner & Townsend specializes in major programmes, project, cost and commercial management, project controls and performance, net zero and digital solutions, in markets around the world.

“Faro Mine reflects Turner & Townsend’s ongoing commitment to delivering on the world’s most impactful projects, creating a lasting positive impact on the environment and local communities,” added Isherwood.