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I had some experience with the abandoned oil/gas well problem in Western NY State about 20 years ago, so my knowledge is getting out of date. What I remember is if you are the landowner, also own the mineral rights and have ever in your ownership actually operated the well or wells, you will have responsibility to close the wells.($$$). On the other hand, if you came into ownership of the land long after the wells were abandoned, your state may have a program to take over the well and close it at no expense to yourself.
This is why so many of the old-time well operators/drillers/etc. go bankrupt and disappear, to avoid getting tagged with closing the wells. This is especially true in Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties in NY State (along the PA border) where large quantities of sweet crude were extracted early in the 20th Century. The old wells are still there, long abandoned, we are talking thousands of well heads.
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