Scientists discover way to plug thousands of hazardous wells with corn: ‘Meeting an urgent demand’

Researchers have found a cost-effective way to both fill old oil and gas wells and reduce planet-heating pollution at the same time. 

Scientists at Iowa State University looked into the potential for using biofuels made from plant waste to fill up orphaned wells that had formerly been used to extract oil and natural gas. 

The process would help solve two problems at once: securing dangerous and environmentally hazardous abandoned wells while also sequestering heat-trapping carbon, according to Iowa State University’s website.     

The biofuels would be produced using organic waste from agricultural fields and forests. During photosynthesis, living plants pull carbon from the air and store it in their leaves, stalks, branches, and trunks. 

As a result, unused plant materials such as discarded corn stalks and debris from forests contain large amounts of carbon. By converting this organic waste into biofuels, and then pumping the biofuels into out-of-service wells, this carbon can effectively be stored underground. 

“On the one hand, you have these underutilized waste products,” said Mark Mba-Wright, who led the team performing the research, according to Iowa State’s website. “On the other hand, you have abandoned oil wells that need to be plugged. It’s an abundant resource meeting an urgent demand.” 

In the study, Mba-Wright’s research team demonstrated not only that this process is feasible but also cost-competitive compared to other carbon sequestration options. Additionally, using organic waste could prove to be an economic boon for rural communities. 

The research has drawn the attention of entrepreneurs in the carbon-sequestration industry. 

“Iowa State’s experts showed that bio-oil sequestration using corn stover can deliver a high-value, durable carbon removal product that outcompetes other technologies, while providing new markets for crop residues and delivering new economic value to the rural economy,” said Peter Reinhardt, CEO and co-founder of San Francisco-based Charm Industrial, per Iowa State’s website. 

With hundreds of thousands of hazardous, uncapped abandoned oil and gas wells pockmarking the U.S. landscape, the new process could represent a win for safety, the environment, and the economy. 

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