Reducing orphaned wells methane emissions with Staci Taruscio and Brooke Swain

Brave New Women hosted by Cecilia Poullain

Staci and Brooke work together at rebellion energy in Oklahoma. Staci is the president and CEO and Brooke is the senior engineering and geological technician. They are also the co-founders of Fellow Environmental Partners, a non-profit focussed on plugging orphaned oil and gas wells in an effort to reduce methane emissions.

Staci and Brooke wanted to do something different for their next project. They were throwing around ideas and started to think about abandoned wells. The more they learnt about the methane emissions and water contamination caused by abandoned oil wells, the more they realised that no one was focussing on the massive environmental damage being caused and how to stop it.

It is a highly technical issue with huge social and environmental impacts. There are hundreds of thousands of orphaned wells - under schools, under houses or under agricultural land. Some are visible - some are not. They can be thought of as wells whose legal owner cannot be found, most becoming wards of the state. The costs of plugging a well are huge. Average well costs begin at $20,000 to plug.
Staci and Brooke believe that many people in the oil and gas industry care about the environment and opportunities are increasing to use their expertise and resources available to create a positive impact. Within Fellow Environmental Partners, they are looking to create a diverse and inclusive committee with many different perspectives.
I would love to hear any comments you might have on this episode and respond to any questions. You can find me on the Brave New World Facebook page, on Linkedin or on my website: www.ceciliapoullain.com

Cecilia Poullain
Founder of Brave New Women
Coach - Empowering Women to Find their Voice
Music: Stephen Marquis www.songsta.com.au
Editing: Talal Bouroki

Cecilia Poullain
Founder of Brave New Women
Coach - Empowering Women to Find their Voice