Oxford County is home to approximately 500 legacy oil and gas wells in rural areas

Oxford County is launching a public awareness campaign about the risks of abandoned oil and gas wells and the provincial program available to help landowners identify and plug old wells to help keep communities safe.

The County is drawing on $105,000 in funding from the Government of Ontario for the awareness campaign, which includes educational materials and emergency response supports, such as road closure trailers, supplies for emergency reception centres, and the development of hazard-specific emergency response plans for abandoned oil and gas wells.

Across Ontario, there are approximately 27,000 records of oil and gas wells no longer in production, many of them on private lands in southwestern Ontario. According to data from the Ontario Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Library, there are an estimated 500 abandoned oil and gas wells on rural properties in Oxford County. The Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Library website offers a searchable map to check locations of abandoned well areas.  

The following sites or signs could indicate the presence of an abandoned well, especially if the property is in a former or current oil and gas-producing area: 

• farm properties with multiple farmsteads, abandoned land or structures, uncultivated sites or sinking land;
• areas with different or stunted vegetation, compacted trails or sites, oil residue, or abandoned drilling pads;
• areas with soil staining for vegetation die-off caused by leaking wells;
• a rotten egg smell caused by hydrogen sulphide, a poisonous gas; and,
• natural gas bubbling or oil odours in well water.

Abandoned wells can pose risks to human health and the environment, including:

• poisoning from hydrogen sulphide gas (with a rotten egg smell) that may be released from a leaking well;
• flammable or combustible environments inside buildings caused by the release of methane;
• tripping or collision hazards caused by sinking ground over existing or minded caverns;
• fires or spills caused by blowouts, the uncontrolled release of oil or gas; and,
• contaminated soil or groundwater.

If you think there is an abandoned well on your property, do not investigate yourself. An abandoned oil and gas well must be plugged in by a professional contractor to meet today’s regulatory standards.

Landowners may qualify for financial support through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Abandoned Works Program. If you suspect an abandoned well on your property, contact the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Petroleum Operations Section via email at posrecords@ontario.ca or by phone at 519-873-4634.

Find more information about Legacy Oil and Gas Wells at www.oxford72hours.ca. 

Comment

Ryan Hall, Director/Chief of Oxford County Paramedic Services

“The Government of Ontario is supporting municipalities in taking a proactive approach to this issue. Through public education and awareness, we can help landowners identify whether they could have an abandoned well on their property, understand the risks, and take the proper measures to ensure the safety of themselves, their family and the public.”   

Quick facts

• The Ontario Government has been working to address the issue of abandoned wells, announcing a $23.6-million investment last year to identify and plug old oil and gas wells. Public education is a key component of the provincial strategy for legacy wells, especially in southwestern Ontario, where thousands of wells are located. The 2021 explosion in Wheatley, Ontario, has also brought public attention to this issue.

• Oxford County received $105,000 in 2024 to develop and distribute public education materials on legacy oil and gas wells, and personal emergency preparedness; purchase emergency response supports, such as road closure trailers and resources for emergency shelters; and support staffing to develop hazard-specific plans with area municipalities around legacy oil and gas wells (planned for 2025).
• The Ministry of Natural Resources will determine if an abandoned well exists on your property and investigate. If you think you have an abandoned well on your property, stop any plans to build over top of a petroleum well and keep instructions for shutting off gas and water valves handy and read them carefully.