Thorny Legal Issues in Reusing Old PA O&G Wells for Geothermal

Last November MDN told you about a research paper published by Penn State that says the state should look at repurposing old conventional oil and gas wells for use as geothermal energy sources (see Penn State Suggests Reusing Old O&G Wells for Geothermal Energy). The idea is to use some of the hundreds of thousands of abandoned oil and natural gas wells dotting the countryside in Pennsylvania, run tubing into those wells, circulate water through the tubing, and transfer Mom Earth’s natural heat to the water and then use the heated water to heat homes and farms and businesses that are located nearby. Neat! Except according to the Houston Harbaugh law firm, there are LOTS of thorny legal issues involved before such a plan can work.

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