Glacier National Park is making plans to plug an abandoned oil well that’s been leaking methane gas. The park recently received federal funds for the work on the site near Kintla Lake in the North Fork area of the park.
Testing in 2023 found the well’s original plug was leaking and in need of updating. Paying for the work is part of the Department of the Interior’s efforts to reduce methane leaks from oil wells no longer in service on federal lands. The department estimates there are nearly 600 of these orphan wells on federal lands, which were abandoned at a time before regulations required companies to restore drill sites.
Montana previously received $25 million to cap over 250 orphaned wells on state and private lands in 2022.
A spokesperson from the park said the upgrades will take place in 2025.
