Product
Traditional emissions reduction methods are expensive and time-consuming
Key pain points include high plugging cost (~$100,000 on average) and few resources (equipment and teams) to plug wells leading to long lead times.
We are an immediate and lower cost solution than the current method
Capwell is a modular, easily transportable, and cost effective solution to immediately eliminate methane emissions at the source. Due to the highly variable nature of the conditions found at an abandoned & orphaned oil & gas (AOOG) well site, modularity is key to system function. The gas is first captured by the sealing mechanism that can take on a variety of forms. Should any hydrogen sulfide be present, a scrubbing unit is available to remove this harmful gas. A compression and storage assembly is used to temporarily hold the gas so that a constant flow rate and pressure can be guaranteed for downstream equipment. This modularity allows one unit to cover a wide band of leak rates.
14M
People live within a mile of an abandoned well, exposed
to toxic chemicals in the air and groundwater
50%
A 50% drop in building development has been observed in areas with high AOOG well concentration
How does a well work?
When oil and natural gas is found in the ground, a hole is drilled to reach it. Casing (a metal telescoping tube) is installed to reach the oil / natural gas. When a producing formation is found, wells are drilled to bring the oil and gas to the surface. To isolate the hole from the surrounding environment, a series of telescoping pipes are set and cemented into place. The well is productive and resources are extracted, the average period of productivity is ~20 years. Once well productivity decreases so that its no longer profitable to continue operating it, the well is sealed off by the oil & gas company.
How did we get here?
Wells have been drilled across the United States since 1859, when the regulations we have today didn’t exist. This led to wells not being properly disposed of when a company was done extracting oil and gas. These wells were left abandoned to emit methane, untracked for decades until they were found by State governments. Current estimates put the number of abandoned and orphaned wells scattered across the country at 3.7M.
Average cost the plug a well
Current Approaches Fall Short
Abandoned and orphaned wells are remediated through plugging: cementing plugs that prevent the vertical flow of gas in a well. This eliminates emissions, pollution, and harm to communities nearby. This process is effective but has some drawbacks:
High Plugging Cost
~$100k on average in PA
Few Resources
Limited number of plugging rigs for the millions of wells
Lack of Accessibility
No access roads and interfering utilities
These obstacles cause years if not decades of lead time before a well is plugged, causing harm to the environment and communities nearby
© Capwell Services Inc.
