Total field magnetic surveys to locate abandoned wells: Three case histories

摘要

There are thousands of abandoned wells throughout the United States. Historically, the process of well abondon-ment has been inconsistent and often conducted with no regard for environmental concerns. Many wells were simply decapitated just below grade, leaving the rest of the casing buried in situ. The buried casings can be a conduit for subsurface contamination or even be a source for contamination. Unfortunately, records pertaining to abandoned wells are typically poor or nonexistent, and finding these wells can be equivalent to the proverbial "needle in a haystack" search. Geophysical methods offer a cost-effective alternative to this blind excavation or drilling.