An interesting article in a legal publication I just read is titled: Plugging the Gap: How US Well Abandonment Could Become the Next Carbon Investment Frontier. It was from BRG consulting group.
The article goes into depth about approaching the vast number of inactive and orphaned oil and gas wells found all over the US. not as a liability, but as an investable carbon‑asset class. By systematically plugging and abandoning (P&A) leaking wells and quantifying the resulting methane abatement, project sponsors can generate high‑integrity carbon credits.
The.concept is that O and A wells emit methane. Stopping this by plugging avoids future greenhouse gas emissions that can be quantified, converted into CO₂‑equivalent, and—through a certified group—issued as carbon credits. Three characteristics make this particularly compelling. It turns a liability into an asset.