Public engagement on old oil and gas wells

We want to hear from private landowners in Southwestern Ontario who may have old and inactive wells on their property or in their community.

Upcoming telephone town halls:

Essex County and Municipality of Chatham-Kent

  • Date: November 26, 2024
  • Time: 7 to 8 p.m.
  • To participate: voicemail invitations will go out to potential participants starting on November 19, 2024. The voicemail will have instructions on how to participate in the town hall.

Counties of Haldimand, Norfolk, Brant and southern Niagara Region 

  • Date: December 3, 2024
  • Time: 7 to 8 p.m.
  • To participate: voicemail invitations will go out to potential participants starting on November 26, 2024. The voicemail will have instructions on how to participate in the town hall.

For more information on future engagement events:

Overview

The Abandoned Works Program (AWP) is available to Ontarians to cover the costs associated with oil and gas (petroleum) well plugging should a well be hazardous to the public and or the environment.

In Ontario, oil and gas well operators are responsible for plugging their own wells if they have not been used in over 12 months.

If an active operator of a well cannot be identified, the landowner is responsible for plugging the well. Landowners can apply for the Abandoned Works Program to get the wells on their property plugged.

The ministry will determine if your well qualifies for the program. If your well qualifies, we will:

  • rank your well based on the risk to public safety and the environment
  • arrange and pay for a pre-qualified well contractor to plug the well, on behalf of the landowner, at the earliest opportunity, with timing taking into account the other wells eligible to be addressed under the AWP.

How to check if you have a petroleum well on your property

If you suspect you have a petroleum well on your property, you can search for the well using the following maps.

Petroleum Well Map

Use the Petroleum Well Map to find out if there is a record of a well on your property. This map:

  • uses blue dots to show the location of known petroleum wells
  • displays a pop-up window when you click on the blue dot, which shows basic well data based upon the Ontario Wells Status Definitions
  • lets you download well data into a spreadsheet, which you can use to find your property by county, township, lot and concession instead of using the map

Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Library Petroleum Well Map

Use the Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Library Petroleum Well Map if you know you have an oil or gas well on your property and want to view more detailed records about it. This map:

  • has a free basic search of oil and gas wells that are regulated under the Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Act and located in our ministry database
  • lets you view more information about a well by clicking on the well symbol
  • offers a paid subscription where you can access a more detailed database of well records and reports

If you need help understanding the data concerning a particular well, call the Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Act Library at 519-686-2772.

If you discover a well on your property that is not in the above database, or you are not sure, contact the Petroleum Operations Section.

Petroleum Operations Section
Ministry of Natural Resources
Email: gasandoilwells@ontario.ca    
Telephone: 519-873-4634

How to identify a leaking well

The following are signs of a leaking well.

Fluid

If fluids are escaping from the well, there may be pools of liquid that cause soil staining and damage to vegetation.

Hydrogen sulphide

Hydrogen sulphide is a poisonous gas that often has a rotten egg smell. It may be released if a well is leaking.

Sinking ground

If a well is leaking, the ground may dip or sink over or around a well.

What to do if you find signs of a leaking well

You should report the leaking well to the Spills Action Centre

If you find signs of a leaking well on your property, follow the instructions on this page to apply for the Abandoned Works Program. If your well is a hazard, it may be eligible to be plugged through the program.

Abandoned Works Program

Wells that qualify for the program

Any oil or gas well may qualify if both of the following apply:

  • an active operator cannot be identified for the well, other than the landowner
  • you have not used, benefited from, or intentionally tampered with the well

How to apply

If you want to have a well on your property considered for the program, email gasandoilwells@ontario.ca with the following:

  • your contact information
  • well information, including:
    • location
    • licence number
  • a description of wellheads or the well casings visible at the surface, leaking fluids, gas odours or dead vegetation
  • photos of the well site (if possible)

After you apply

After you apply, an inspector will visit the site to do an assessment of the well and the ministry will determine if your well qualifies. If your well qualifies, we will:

  • rank your well based on the risk to public safety and potential for environmental damage to determine when it should be plugged. Wells that we rank as immediate or significant hazards are addressed first.
  • arrange for and pay a pre-qualified well contractor to plug the well.

How wells are plugged

Wells are plugged with cement by a plugging contractor. In most cases, the plugging contractor may use:

  • a service rig
  • steel tanks to hold fluids during the plugging
  • tanker trucks
  • construction equipment

Access to the land where the well is situated will need to be granted by the existing landowner. In some cases, this may require the landowner to obtain consent from adjoining property owners.

Contact:

Petroleum Operations Section
Ministry of Natural Resources
Email: gasandoilwells@ontario.ca    
Telephone: 519-873-4634