D23AP00221

Program: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Sec. 40601 Orphaned Well Tribal Program Award

Purpose: Funding through the program may be utilized to plug, remediate, or reclaim orphaned wells on tribal land, restore soil and habitat in the degraded area, decommission or remove associated infrastructure, identify and characterize additional undocumented wells on tribal land, and set up well-plugging capacity where not already established.

Section 40601(d) of the BIL creates an Orphaned Well Site Plugging, Remediation, and Reclamation Grant Program within the Department of Interior to address orphaned wells and well sites on tribal lands.

Activities to be performed: This grant funds the Osage Nation to perform the following activities:

- Plug, remediate, or reclaim an orphaned well on tribal land.
- Remediate soil and restore habitat that has been due to the presence of orphaned wells or associated pipelines, facilities, or infrastructure on tribal land.
- Remediate tribal land adjacent to orphaned wells and decommission or remove associated pipelines, facilities, and infrastructure.
- Provide an accounting of the cost of plugging, remediation, and reclamation for each orphaned well site on tribal land.
- Identify and characterize undocumented orphaned wells on tribal land and develop or administer a tribal program to carry out any activities described in this section.

Activities funded by this grant must comply with the Uniform Guidance for Grants and Agreements (2 CFR 200) and BIL and include all costs necessary to conduct the approved award.

Funds from the implementation grant will be used to plug, remediate, and restore previously identified orphaned wells along with the newly identified wells. The Osage Nation will target its plugging and remediation efforts first to the Osage Nation Ranch and then continue to plug orphaned wells throughout the entire Osage Reservation. Furthermore, the funds will provide the resources to train tribal members in well plugging and site remediation and reclamation-related jobs, such as air methane and water monitoring, that will be needed in future program implementation phases.

Expected deliverables or outcomes:

1. Decrease the amount of methane emissions from orphaned wells.
2. Document the methods and challenges of measuring, modeling, and measuring methane emissions from orphaned wells.
3. Enhance the protection of public health, safety, and property from adverse effects of oil drilling practices from orphaned wells on tribal lands.
4. Plug, remediate, or reclaim 290 orphaned wells in one year.
5. Create six direct jobs and up to 100 jobs to be created indirectly through contractors, vendors, and subcontractors.
6. Restore land and water resources and the environment previously degraded by the adverse effects of oil and gas production and drilling, including measures for the conservation and development of soil, water, woodland, fish and wildlife, recreation resources, and agricultural productivity.

Intended beneficiaries: The general public benefits directly and indirectly from the proposed project that addresses long overdue infrastructure and environmental improvements to strengthen our resilience to the changing climate and mitigate the effects of legacy pollution. This investment on tribal lands across the country will grow the economy sustainably and equitably for decades to come. Information and data collected by this project will be made available as applicable.

Subrecipient activities: N/A

Osage Nation

REDUCE METHANE EMISSIONS FROM ORPHANED WELL SITES ON TRIBAL LANDS. MITIGATE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE OF LEGACY POLLUTION WITHIN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. THE OMB POLICY FOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITY GOALS DOES NOT APPLY TO MANDATORY AWARDS.

15.018 - Energy Community Revitalization Program (ECRP)

Interior Business Center (IBC) [DOI]

Osage, Oklahoma United States

County-Wide

D-AQD-FA-23-002

Infrastructure $18,100,414 (100%) percent this Project Grant was funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Act.
Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 09/30/24 to 09/30/26.