Idle wells have not been plugged, nor are they producing, injecting, or otherwise being used for their intended purpose, according to IOGCC.
More federal funding is expected to go toward plugging, remediating, and restoring orphan oil and gas well sites.
IOGCC noted that IIJA was enacted shortly before publication of its new report, Idle and Orphan Oil and Gas Wells: State and Provincial Regulatory Strategies 2021.
IOGCC said there were 231,287 approved idle wells reported by the states and 140,183 by the provinces at the end of 2020.
In the United States, a total of 1,619,071 documented wells have been drilled but not plugged, stated IOGCC.
The organization said improved investigation and operator verification efforts resulted in a 50% increase in the number of documented orphan wells from 2018 to 2020.