Whether the Sue Bland Well (drilled in 1901); the Glenpool Oilfield; development in the Osage, Cherokee, or Muskogee Creek Nations; or what are now parks or urban areas, the region is filled with wells that many have little knowledge of. Since some of this early development, in an effort to provide fresh water supply and flood control, many man-made lakes were made that now contain thousands of unplugged historic oil wells. In the early 1900s, many of our rivers were the site of oil well drilling & production operations. Today, we are trying to address these legacy issues and also understand the environmental, health and other impacts these old wells may cause. In 1971, a TGS Publication on Tulsa’s Physical Environment defined several of the problems that largely been ignored over time. Other historians, like Ray Sorenson, performed substantial and landmark research in the region to simply identify and assess historic wells in areas throughout Tulsa County and sensitive areas like Turkey Mountain and the Arkansas River. In this webinar, Mr. Dan Arthur reviews some of the history, issues & challenge, and the paths forward being taken to address these issues.
Tulsa Geological Society Webinar: History, Risk Assessment, and Forward Planning for Idle, Orphan, Abandoned, & Marginal Oil & Gas Wells in Eastern Oklahoma
