Wyoming Oil And Gas Operators Cheer Delay Of Biden-Era 1,400% Bond Rate Hike

Cowboy State Daily ^ | 12/23/25 | David Madison

[CFW]

Wyoming's oil and gas producers say Christmas came early last week when the Bureau of Land Management extended the deadline for compliance with bonding requirements that threatened to shutter small operators across the state.

The Direct Final Rule delays enforcement of Biden-era regulations that would have increased bonding costs by 1,400% while the Trump administration works toward permanent solutions.

"This marks significant progress in addressing the anti-oil and natural gas regulations that were handed down during the previous administration," said Pete Obermueller, president of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming. "While this rule does not cover new bonds and does not fully rescind these outrageous bonding requirements, it does give Wyoming's small operators much needed breathing room on their existing bonds."

PAW’s website announced the news with the headline, “Christmas Comes Early for Operators in Wyoming.”

The Biden administration justified the bonding increases as necessary to protect taxpayers from the cost of plugging “orphaned” wells — wells whose operators have gone out of business or walked away, leaving cleanup costs to the public.

But federal data suggests Wyoming isn't where the orphan well problem lies.

According to the Department of Interior's Orphaned Wells Program FY 2023 Annual Report, 126,806 documented orphaned wells exist across 26 states.

The vast majority are concentrated in private land states with long production histories: Pennsylvania leads with 26,908 orphaned wells; followed by Ohio with 19,662; Oklahoma with 17,865; Kentucky with 11,728; and Texas with 7,396.

Wyoming, by contrast, has 1,311 documented orphaned wells — roughly 1% of the national total.

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TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: blm; bond; economy; energy; fjb; oilgas; sabotage; society; wyoming

[CFW]

It's not so much about the "orphaned" wells. Democrats just want to destroy oil and gas producers. If Harris had been elected we'd probably be reading by candle by now.

[Deaf Smith]

“orphaned” wells

They are abandoned wells that were not plugged or “plugged” decades ago by placing rocks and dirt into the casing and calling it good.

In Texas, current lease operators are responsible for all well locations even if they did not operate said wells.

On and off, I have been prodding the land owner of a property I go out to force the issue of having three wells from 1917 plugged. The cellars are collapsed and drain rain water, meaning the casing is leaking.

[skinny old man]

They could also free the largest deposit of low sulphur coal in North America,that was takes off the market by slick willie...