Illinois Struggles with Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells

Thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells are scattered across southern Illinois. These are remnants from a time when the state was among the top oil producers in the nation. They can be found in farm fields, hidden in woods, and near waterways. These wells are often labeled as ‘orphans’ by the state, with their owners either deceased or unknown, and their companies bankrupt due to a volatile industry marked by booms and busts.

These wells, if left unplugged, leak toxic chemicals hundreds of feet below the surface, posing risks of contaminating groundwater. They also release methane gas, which contributes to climate change. Furthermore, underground fluid known as brine, much saltier than seawater, spills onto farmland, killing crops, and creating infertile land that takes years to recover.

The Chicago Tribune is delving into how Illinois regulators have not curbed the spread of these abandoned wells. The series investigates how oil operators easily sidestep their legal duty to plug non-active wells, pushing cleanup costs worth millions onto taxpayers and exposing communities to various environmental hazards.

“Jon Rosborough inspects an abandoned oil well on Dec. 15, 2025. It was drilled in 1916 on land his family farms in Crawford County near Oblong.”

Illinois once led in oil production; today, this legacy poses a financial burden of $160 million. Oil companies are responsible for addressing the environmental and health risks by plugging inactive wells. Currently, there are nearly 4,000 abandoned and unplugged wells that are the responsibility of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to close. For years, the state has struggled to manage this issue effectively, according to the Tribune’s findings from public records and over two dozen interviews with southern Illinois residents, industry representatives, and environmental experts.

This investigation revealed state mismanagement of operator fees intended to combat the orphan well issue and the state’s failure to accurately document their numbers.

“An abandoned well in farmland near downstate Casey on Feb. 11, 2026, appears to be an abandoned Fireball well.”

A mysterious company, Fireball Production Inc., abandoned 603 wells, leaving Illinois with cleanup costs amounting to $24 million. A Tribune investigation lasting four months uncovered through records and interviews how Fireball managed to avoid its legal responsibilities, exposing communities to contaminants while offloading financial burdens onto the state.

“A pump jack and other abandoned oil equipment on James Myers’ farm in downstate Assumption on May 22, 2026.”

Efforts to make oil and gas operators pay for abandoned wells can take decades. Nearly 200 wells in central and southern Illinois once operated by Duncan Oil Co. have been locked in a lengthy court case with the state, spanning over twenty years, for failing to plug leaking or non-productive wells. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, along with the state attorney general’s office, sued Duncan Oil Co. This led to a settlement that halted the transfer of these wells to Dix Oil Co., which shares an address and leadership with Duncan in Salem. The department considers this case a success in preventing the wells from falling under the state’s responsibility.