The Grasshopper #001 orphan natural gas well is located in the Mill Creek Township of Erie County, PA. The well’s origin and last operator is unknown and predates 1985. The Well Done Foundation contacted by the landowners, Mill Creek Township about a collaboration to plug the well. Because there was concerns that natural gas from the deteriorating wellhead fittings could begin leaking, it has raised particular concerns of creating an immediate health and safety risk. Well Done arrived on location in August of 2023 and began methane quantification.

The Grasshopper #001 orphan well has a quantified greenhouse gas emission with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of over 2,500 metric tons of CO2e (IPCC20), equaling 550 automobiles or as many as 150 trees on approximately 1.5 acres. With your support, those emissions will be permanently eliminated and the surface areas fully restored.

Working closely with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) and the Mill Creek Township, Well Done began taking steps to formally adopt the Grasshopper #001 orphan well. The Well Done Foundation has continued methane monitoring on this orphan well. The measured methane concentrations are >123,300 ppm of CH4 (methane gas), and Well Done is NOW TAKING ACTION to plug the leaking orphan well. Due to the proximity to residences and the amount of methane gas potential emitting from this orphan well, this is one of the Well Done Foundation’s top priorities in the 2024 orphan well plugging schedule. Working together, we ARE making a BIG difference #onewellatatime!