Well plugging cost data

What it actually costs to plug a well.

Reported costs of 11,741 publicly funded well pluggings in 25 states. Every figure is graded on held-out data. Where the data is thin, we say so instead of publishing a number.

Estimate a well

Returns a cost range with its grade, sample size and data date, or tells you the data is insufficient.

11,741
Reported costs on file
6,098
Independent observations
9 of 25
States with a graded estimate
102.0
Cost Index, 2026Q2 (2023 = 100)

Transactions, not models

Not estimated. Observed.

Every figure is computed from costs reported for wells that were actually plugged, then tested on wells it was not computed from. Each page links to the public records behind it.

How grading works

01

Estimate

Enter a state, well type and depth. Get the cost range of comparable plugged wells.

02

Compare

See the median and range by state, well type, county and year, each with its grade and sample size.

03

Verify

Open the public well records behind the figure, and read how it was tested.

Coverage

9 states graded. The rest say so.

25 states have reported plugging costs on file. A state is shaded as graded only when its statewide estimate holds up on held-out wells. Select a state to open its page.

All states

Alabama: insufficient data, 19 wells on fileAlaska: insufficient data, 11 wells on fileArizona: insufficient data, 51 wells on fileArkansas: insufficient data, 233 wells on fileCalifornia: insufficient data, 331 wells on fileColorado: grade B, 322 wellsConnecticut: not coveredDelaware: not coveredDistrict of Columbia: not coveredFlorida: insufficient data, 18 wells on fileGeorgia: not coveredHawaii: not coveredIdaho: not coveredIllinois: grade A, 783 wellsIndiana: grade B, 414 wellsIowa: not coveredKansas: insufficient data, 2,569 wells on fileKentucky: grade B, 921 wellsLouisiana: grade B, 661 wellsMaine: not coveredMaryland: not coveredMassachusetts: not coveredMichigan: not coveredMinnesota: not coveredMississippi: insufficient data, 17 wells on fileMissouri: not coveredMontana: insufficient data, 235 wells on fileNebraska: grade A, 403 wellsNevada: not coveredNew Hampshire: not coveredNew Jersey: not coveredNew Mexico: grade B, 217 wellsNew York: insufficient data, 34 wells on fileNorth Carolina: not coveredNorth Dakota: grade B, 81 wellsOhio: insufficient data, 151 wells on fileOklahoma: insufficient data, 1,226 wells on fileOregon: not coveredPennsylvania: not coveredRhode Island: not coveredSouth Carolina: not coveredSouth Dakota: not coveredTennessee: insufficient data, 5 wells on fileTexas: insufficient data, 1,556 wells on fileUtah: insufficient data, 18 wells on fileVermont: not coveredVirginia: not coveredWashington: not coveredWest Virginia: insufficient data, 341 wells on fileWisconsin: not coveredWyoming: grade A, 1,124 wells
  • Grade A (3)
  • Grade B (6)
  • Insufficient data (16)
  • Not covered (26)

Built for the people who carry the liability

Built for every side of a plugging obligation.

Operators and accountants

Plugging liability estimates

Check an asset-retirement figure against what plugging has actually cost nearby.

Lenders and acquirers

Due diligence

Put a graded range on the wells that come with an asset.

Regulators

Bonding and financial assurance

Compare bond amounts with reported costs, and restate older figures with the Cost Index.

Plugging contractors

Bid benchmarks

See what public programs have paid by state, county and well type.

Common questions

Answers from the data

Guide

Cost to plug an oil well

Graded medians and ranges by state.

 Guide

Cost to plug a gas well

Graded medians and ranges by state.

 Guide

Cost per foot

Where depth is known, and why per-foot rates fall with depth.

 FAQ

Plain-English answers

Sources, grades, limits and how to adjust for inflation.

By state

Cost by state

$0k$100k$200k$300kColorado$85,728Illinois$36,649Indiana$48,768Kentucky$27,400Louisiana$27,059Nebraska$38,916New Mexico$132,792North Dakota$48,329Wyoming$5,590
Reported cost per well, states with a graded estimate. Light bar: 10th to 90th percentile. Dark bar: middle half. Tick: median.
StateMedian per wellTypical range (10th–90th pct.)GradeWellsHeld-out error
Alabama——Insufficient data19—
Alaska——Insufficient data11—
Arizona——Insufficient data51—
Arkansas——Insufficient data233—
California——Insufficient data331—
Colorado$85,728$34,175 – $182,260B32240%
Florida——Insufficient data18—
Illinois$36,649$8,148 – $49,088A78317%
Indiana$48,768$30,874 – $88,560B41428%
Kansas——Insufficient data2,569—
Kentucky$27,400$17,535 – $43,490B92121%
Louisiana$27,059$16,062 – $46,958B66140%
Mississippi——Insufficient data17—
Montana——Insufficient data235—
Nebraska$38,916$17,628 – $59,145A40324%
New Mexico$132,792$74,508 – $323,520B21731%
New York——Insufficient data34—
North Dakota$48,329$39,412 – $93,450B8126%
Ohio——Insufficient data151—
Oklahoma——Insufficient data1,226—
Tennessee——Insufficient data5—
Texas——Insufficient data1,556—
Utah——Insufficient data18—
West Virginia——Insufficient data341—
Wyoming$5,590$5,051 – $15,448A1,12416%

Data through 2026-06-30. Sample sizes are the wells behind each figure. Grades come from held-out tests, not in-sample fit: A needs 200+ independent cost observations and a held-out error of 25% or less; B needs 60+ and 40% or less. Anything weaker is shown as Insufficient data. How grading works.

Some figures here are withheld because the data is too thin to grade. If you hold actual plugging costs, report a plugging cost. Reports are reviewed before any use.

Over time

Plugging Cost Index

A quarterly index of plugging cost per well, adjusted for where and what kind of wells were plugged. Annual values: 2022 98.8, 2023 100.0, 2024 111.1, 2025 103.5, 2026 106.9.

901001101201302022Q42023Q22023Q42024Q22024Q42025Q22025Q42026Q2102.0
National Plugging Cost Index, 2023 = 100. Filled markers are grade A, hollow markers grade B; quarters without enough data are left blank.

Index values, state indexes and how to use it to adjust a cost estimate

What this is, and is not

The records are costs reported for wells plugged with public money since late 2022, mostly old and shallow orphan wells. They are not quotes, and they do not describe deep horizontal wells. About half the records are contract averages rather than a cost for one well. Read the limitations before relying on a figure.