Put a Lid on It

Climate change can seem overwhelming. Around the world, the burning of fossil fuels—like oil, gas, and coal—releases greenhouse gases that trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere. It’s easy to wonder: What can one person do about a problem so big that it affects the whole planet?

Mateo De La Rocha, a teen in North Carolina, pondered that very question. Then, a few years ago, he and two friends found a way to help—by tackling a climate issue that wasn’t receiving much attention. Mateo and his classmates raised money to help stop the leakage of greenhouse gases from an abandoned oil well drilled by a company that collected oil from deep within Earth. With their support, the well was successfully plugged last spring. Now the students are pushing to cap another well—and hoping their effort encourages others to create positive change.

Climate change can seem like too much to deal with. Around the world, people burn fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal. This releases greenhouse gases that trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere. The problem is so big that it affects the whole planet. You might wonder: What can one person do about it?

Mateo De La Rocha thought about that question. He’s a teen in North Carolina. A few years ago, he and two friends found a way to help. They tackled a climate issue that wasn’t getting much attention. Greenhouse gases were leaking from an abandoned oil well. A company had drilled the well to collect oil from deep within Earth. Mateo and his classmates raised money to stop the leaking. With their help, the well was plugged last spring. Now the students are pushing to cap another well. They hope this encourages others to create positive change.

Across the U.S., fossil fuel companies have drilled tens of millions of wells to collect oil and natural gas buried under soil and rock. Often a large pump at the top of the well pulls the fuel up through a long steel pipe to the surface.

The company operating a well is responsible for sealing it when its fuel runs out. But that doesn’t always happen, especially when companies go out of business. In many cases, wells become orphans, with no one legally responsible for capping them (see Where Are Orphaned Wells?). The cost of sealing these wells often falls to states or the federal government.

Unplugged wells can release harmful chemicals into the soil, water, and air. A powerful greenhouse gas called methane (CH₄) is one of the most common substances leaking from wells. Methane buried underground can escape through open or damaged well pipes or through cracks in rock surrounding the well.

Oil and natural gas are buried under soil and rock. To collect these fuels, fossil fuel companies have drilled tens of millions of wells across the U.S. Often, a large pump is at the top of the well. It pulls the fuel up through a long steel pipe to the surface.

Over time, the fuel runs out. Then the company that used the well is supposed to seal it. But that doesn’t always happen, especially when companies go out of business. In many cases, wells become orphans. No one is legally responsible for capping them (see Where Are Orphaned Wells?). Often, states or the federal government end up paying to seal these wells.

Unplugged wells can release harmful chemicals into the soil, water, and air. Methane (CH₄) is a powerful greenhouse gas. It’s one of the most common substances leaking from wells. Methane under the ground can escape through open or damaged well pipes. It can also leak through cracks in rock around the well.

As a child, Mateo lived in the South American country of Bolivia. “I was passionate about making sure the planet stays healthy,” he says. “I looked up to garbage collectors because they were the only ones cleaning up the streets.” At age 9, Mateo and his family moved to North Carolina. Growing up there, he saw the area around him change rapidly, as forests were cleared for new homes and businesses. He wondered what he could do to help the environment.

In his high school environmental science class, Mateo learned about greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane. “Methane stuck out to me,” he says. Watching videos online to find out more, he learned that over a 20-year time frame, methane traps 84 times as much heat in the atmosphere as an equal amount of carbon dioxide (see The Greenhouse Effect).

Digging deeper, Mateo found that there are about 3.5 million abandoned oil and gas wells across America, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. No one is using or maintaining them. “And methane spews out of them every hour of every day!” says Mateo. But he didn’t know how he could help solve the problem. “As a high school kid, I didn’t have the money or equipment to plug wells,” he says. Then he came across the Well Done Foundation.

Mateo lived in the South American country of Bolivia as a child. “I was passionate about making sure the planet stays healthy,” he says. “I looked up to garbage collectors because they were the only ones cleaning up the streets.” Mateo and his family moved to North Carolina when he was 9. As he grew up there, the area around him changed quickly. Forests were cleared for new homes and businesses. He wondered how he could help the environment.

Mateo learned about greenhouse gases in his high school environmental science class. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane were two of them. “Methane stuck out to me,” he says. To find out more, he watched videos online. He learned about methane’s effects on the atmosphere. In 20 years, methane traps 84 times as much heat as the same amount of carbon dioxide (see The Greenhouse Effect).

Mateo dug deeper and learned more. About 3.5 million abandoned oil and gas wells exist across America, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. No one is using or maintaining them. “And methane spews out of them every hour of every day!” says Mateo. But what could he do about the problem? “As a high school kid, I didn’t have the money or equipment to plug wells,” he says. Then he came across the Well Done Foundation.

Well Done was founded by Curtis Shuck. Shuck worked in the oil and gas industry for more than 30 years. In 2019, he visited a farm in Montana, where he came upon an old oil well. “There was an open casing [steel pipe], and you could smell odors coming from it,” Shuck recalls. “I asked, ‘What the heck is this?’ And the farmers said, ‘That’s an orphaned well—they’re all over.’”

Shuck was stunned. “Coming from the oil business myself, my reaction was, this is embarrassing,” he says. “Who walks away from something and leaves a mess like that? Orphaned wells are the industry’s dirty little secret.” That same day, Shuck registered the Well Done Foundation name and website to help address the problem. Today the organization has plugged 45 orphaned wells and counting.

In 2022, Mateo reached out to Well Done, wanting to help. Two friends, Sebastian Ng and Lila Gisondi, joined the effort, which the teens named the Youth Climate Initiative (YCI). Well Done suggested collaborating on a well on an Ohio farm, and the students got to work raising awareness and funds.

Curtis Shuck founded Well Done. Shuck worked in the oil and gas industry for more than 30 years. In 2019, he visited a farm in Montana and saw an old oil well. “There was an open casing [steel pipe], and you could smell odors coming from it,” Shuck recalls. “I asked, ‘What the heck is this?’ And the farmers said, ‘That’s an orphaned well—they’re all over.’”

Shuck was stunned. “Coming from the oil business myself, my reaction was, this is embarrassing,” he says. “Who walks away from something and leaves a mess like that? Orphaned wells are the industry’s dirty little secret.” Shuck decided to address the problem. That same day, he registered the Well Done Foundation name and website. Today the organization has plugged 45 orphaned wells and counting.

Mateo wanted to help. So in 2022, he contacted Well Done. Two friends, Sebastian Ng and Lila Gisondi, joined the effort. The teens named it the Youth Climate Initiative (YCI). Well Done suggested working together on a well on an Ohio farm. So the students began to raise awareness and funds.