# Why is a well P&A'd (plugged and abandoned)

**URL:** https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/why-is-a-well-p-ad-plugged-and-abandoned/31330
**Category:** Oil & Gas Field Operations
**Created:** [August 8, 2018, 2:32am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/why-is-a-well-p-ad-plugged-and-abandoned/31330 "2018-08-08T02:32:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Roy\_A\_White](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Roy\_A\_White](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Roy_A_White)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2018, 2:33am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/why-is-a-well-p-ad-plugged-and-abandoned/31330/1 "2018-08-08T02:33:00Z")

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Can anyone please tell us what it means when a well is slated to be drilled, the spud has been done, then the well is said to have mechanically failed and been P&A’d?

Thank you so much.

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### Author: ![wade\_caldwell](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/user_avatar/www.mineralrightsforum.com/wade_caldwell/32/9599_2.png) [@wade\_caldwell](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/wade_caldwell)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2018, 11:21am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/why-is-a-well-p-ad-plugged-and-abandoned/31330/2 "2018-08-08T11:21:57Z")

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P&A stands for plugged and abandoned. They had something go wrong during drilling and abandoned the well.

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### Author: ![DonFromTexas](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/user_avatar/www.mineralrightsforum.com/donfromtexas/32/11371_2.png) [@DonFromTexas](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/DonFromTexas)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2018, 1:03pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/why-is-a-well-p-ad-plugged-and-abandoned/31330/3 "2018-08-08T13:03:32Z")

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To us that know nothing about drilling, that seems silly. I can understand things going wrong, but it would seem obvious that one would just move over a foot or so and get back in business. Why does that not happen?

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### Author: ![Roy\_A\_White](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Roy\_A\_White](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Roy_A_White)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2018, 2:01pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/why-is-a-well-p-ad-plugged-and-abandoned/31330/4 "2018-08-08T14:01:26Z")

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Thank you Wade!

Have a great day!

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### Author: ![M\_Barnes](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/user_avatar/www.mineralrightsforum.com/m_barnes/32/10942_2.png) [@M\_Barnes](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/M_Barnes)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2018, 2:32pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/why-is-a-well-p-ad-plugged-and-abandoned/31330/5 "2018-08-08T14:32:44Z")

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Depending upon what caused the failure and how much it would cost to fix it, sometimes the proposed economics of the well payout versus cost won’t allow a new drilling. At times, they will come back later, but they operate at a bigger scale and have to factor in all the other things they have going on such as rig usage, crew availability, finances, etc. They may move on to another well instead.

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### Author: ![MRFAdmin\_SV](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@MRFAdmin\_SV](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/MRFAdmin_SV)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2025, 7:11pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/why-is-a-well-p-ad-plugged-and-abandoned/31330/6 "2025-01-11T19:11:48Z")

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