CARNEGIE — The Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma has been awarded $1,000,000 from the U.S. Department of the Interior through the Energy Community Revitalization Program to continue its work plugging, remediating, and restoring orphaned oil and gas wells on tribal land.
This represents Phase 2 of an ongoing program that is putting the Kiowa Tribe on a clear path to completion of this critical environmental work, according to Burke Thompson, Oil and Gas Manager, Natural Resources Department, Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma.
Orphaned oil and gas wells are wells that have been abandoned without proper plugging.
They often appear as little more than a pipe in the ground, but the real danger is invisible. Left unaddressed, they can leach pollutants directly into the soil and water table, threatening the safety of water sources.
The Tribal Orphaned Well Plugging Program, established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, provides federally recognized tribes with resources to address these legacy conditions on tribal land. The Kiowa Tribe’s Phase 2 award builds directly on Phase 1 work, moving from program development into active inventory, assessment, and remediation operations.
“Every orphaned well we plug is a direct investment in the safety of our water and our land. Contamination from these wells does not stay in one place,” Thompson said. “It moves through the soil and into the water table, and that is a risk we take seriously. This is not just environmental work. It is sovereignty work. Our Natural Resources team is building the program from the ground up, and this funding lets us see it through to the finish line.”
The grant will fund staffing, equipment, contractor services, and the systematic inventory and physical verification of orphaned wells across Kiowa tribal land. Remediation activities will include soil restoration and habitat reclamation designed to protect the integrity of the water table and ensure Kiowa land remains safe for members, future generations, and the ecosystems.