EZT and area municipalities raising awareness of abandoned oil and gas wells

Local Journalism Initiative
·4 min read

Oxford County is launching a public-awareness campaign about the risks of abandoned oil and gas wells and the provincial program available to help landowners identify and plug old wells to help keep communities safe.

The county is drawing on $105,000 in funding from the Government of Ontario for the campaign, including educational materials and emergency response support. They include road-closure trailers, supplies for emergency reception centres and hazard-specific emergency response plans for abandoned oil and gas wells.

“The Government of Ontario supports municipalities in taking a proactive approach to this issue. Through public education and awareness, we can help landowners identify whether they could have an abandoned well on their property, understand the risks and take the proper measures to ensure the safety of themselves, their family and the public,” said Ryan Hall, director of Oxford’s Paramedic Services.

Across Ontario, there are approximately 27,000 records of oil and gas wells no longer in production, many of them on private lands in southwestern Ontario. According to data from the Ontario Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Library, there are an estimated 500 abandoned oil and gas wells on rural properties in Oxford County. The group’s website offers a searchable map to check the locations of abandoned wells.

Hall said the ministry is partnering with upper-tier governments like the county to get the word out.

“(We want) to bring local awareness about oil and gas wells and to help local municipalities prepare for the worst-case scenario like they had down in Wheatley a couple of years ago.”

Seven people were sent to hospital and two buildings were destroyed in the Chatham-Kent municipality when an explosion rocked its downtown core in 2022, just over an hour after high readings of hydrogen sulphide were recorded. It was believed to be caused by an abandoned gas well.

“The overall goal is to prevent another Wheatley incident. Much of our activity is about informing landowners. When ownership changes hands, you may not know there is one on your property that may have or may not have been plugged and abandoned,” Hall said.

He added people should be aware of potential hazards on their property and one of the factors that led to the Wheatley situation was nobody knew the infrastructure was in the ground and they built on top of it.

“That’s what we are trying to prevent. No one will be building structures in the middle of farmland, but over time, if there is infrastructure and the wells aren’t plugged correctly, there could be potential secondary impacts.”

Hall explained there could be chemicals seeping into the land, potential groundwater contamination and tripping and fall hazards. Anyone who discovers an unplugged well on their property should have it inspected and apply for funding to take care of it.

“When we found out these things were all over the place it was a real eye-opener for us. If landowners know they have one, I would encourage them to do a cursory check for any bad smells. If they have any concerns, contact the ministry.”

EZT Mayor Phil Schaefer said he encourages people to utilize the resources available to them.

“I was quite surprised when I learned about the amount of abandoned gas and oil wells, not only in Oxford County but provincewide. My main message would be that landowners with these wells must have them professionally plugged and that they should avail themselves of resources being provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources and/or Oxford County.”

If you aren’t sure you have an uncapped well on your property, an interactive map is available at https://maps.ogsrlibrary.com/.

The funding from the province is flowing only to the county itself and not the lower-tier governments such as East Zorra-Tavistock.

The following signs could indicate the presence of an abandoned well, especially if the property is in a former or current oil- and gas-producing area:

farm properties with multiple farmsteads, abandoned land or structures, uncultivated sites or sinking land;

areas with different or stunted vegetation, compacted trails or sites, oil residue, or abandoned drilling pads;

areas with soil staining for vegetation die-off caused by leaking wells;

a rotten-egg smell caused by hydrogen sulphide, a poisonous gas; and

natural gas bubbling or oil odours in well water.

Abandoned wells can pose risks to human health and the environment, including:

poisoning from hydrogen sulphide gas (with a rotten-egg smell) that may be released from a leaking well;

flammable or combustible environments inside buildings caused by the release of methane;

tripping or collision hazards caused by sinking ground over existing or mined caverns;

fires or spills caused by blowouts, the uncontrolled release of oil or gas; and

contaminated soil or groundwater.

Landowners may qualify for financial support through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Abandoned Works Program. If you suspect an abandoned well on your property, contact the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Petroleum Operations Section via email at posrecords@ontario.ca or by phone at 519-873-4634.

Find more information about legacy oil and gas wells at www.oxford72hours.ca.

Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Wilmot-Tavistock Gazette

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