Oil and Gas
equipment at legacy well site

Sealing the past: The plugging of Alaska’s Legacy Wells

The BLM's Legacy Wells Program involves the monitoring, prioritization and plugging of existing wells located in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A).
Read More
A hulking, rusted oil tank in overgrown forest in western Pennsylvania

Orphaned wells: BLM and its partners address centuries-old pollution

The BLM along with federal partners are working to address the issue of abandoned gas and oil wells, known as orphaned wells, by locating and plugging them.
Read More
Two men stand nearly shoulder deep in a large hole in the ground watching a heavy load dangles on a chain from a loader bucket. Large pile of dirt and other equipment in the background.

Tackling the Legacy of Orphaned Wells: The Federal Orphaned Well Program in Action

The Federal Orphaned Well Program provides $4.7 billion in funding to plug, remediate, and reclaim orphaned oil and gas wells and associated facilities on Federal land.
Read More
Charles Ebbers
Snow-covered ground, with an orange sunset behind a large inflatable dome. Heavy equipment nearby.

An Outstanding Day by Iko Bay

Legacy Well Iko Bay #1, a 2731-foot-deep natural gas well, was plugged and abandoned after a full remediation by the BLM.

Read More
Ballard Homestead Cabin, undated. Courtesy, Russell and Huse families.

Alice Ballard

In honor of Women's History Month, we highlight notable homesteader, Alice Ballard. Born in Los Angeles, Ballard one of the first few women of color to gain ownership of la

Read More
Melinda Bolton
A shipping container with a trapezoid sign that reads "Bureau of Land Management Alaska Kaktovik Air Quality Monitoring Station."

New air quality monitoring station provides clear data in Arctic

A new Air Quality and Weather Monitoring (AQM) Station funded and maintained by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has revealed pristine air quality in the remote Arctic

Read More

Most Recent Stories