The vision for the Well Done Foundation (WDF) came together during the summer of 2019 after Curtis Shuck (founder and Chairman) visited the legacy Kevin-Sunburst Oilfield in northern Montana. He saw firsthand the impacts of orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells on communities and the environment.
That encounter left such a strong impression that Curtis felt compelled to take immediate action by leaving the oil patch better than the way that he had found it.
Knowing that there was a better way and wanting to develop a collaborative approach to address the orphaned well problem, Curtis established the Well Done Foundation as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a national campaign. #onewellatatime.
Since 2019 the WDF, through the support of many generous donors and corporate sponsors, has plugged 29 orphan oil and gas wells in several states, permanently reducing harmful methane gas emissions (80X more harmful than carbon dioxide) by more than 500,000 metric tons of CO2e.
The WDF successfully has also sponsored the first of its kind “carbon methodology” for orphaned and abandoned oil and gas well plugging with the American Carbon Registry (ACR). We hope this useful financing tool will plug more wells faster.
Beginning in September 2021 WDF began plugging orphaned and abandoned wells in Pennsylvania and has organized in Ohio, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and California.
Orphaned wells are abandoned oil and gas wells that are no longer actively managed by an owner. These wells pose a significant environmental hazard, leaking methane and CO2e, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to climate change. Methane is far more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, making it a major driver of global warming.
The Well Done Foundation is dedicated to plugging orphaned wells, reducing methane emissions, and combating climate change. To date, we have successfully plugged dozens of wells, preventing the release of methane into the atmosphere.
You can make a difference in the fight against climate change. Support the Well Done Foundation by: