Progress Reports: Oilfield Site Restoration Using IIJA Funds

In November of 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Section 40601 of the IIJA included $4.6 billion for orphaned well site plugging, remediation and restoration. Louisiana has already received a $25 million initial grant but is slated to receive significantly more. At the time of the IIJA passage, Louisiana had approximately 4,600 “orphaned” oil and gas wells. Researchers at LSU, led by the LSU Center for Energy Studies, were requested by DNR to estimate the costs of plugging wells and compare with the methane emitted. While a multi-year process is just getting underway, this short progress report is designed to provide information going into the 2023 Regular Legislative Session of the Louisiana State Legislature.