Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE)

AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

From NOLA.com:

CEDYCO Inc. of Houston owns the wellhead, but the company declared it “orphaned” under the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources “orphaned well” program in 2008.
That program allows companies to abdicate some responsibility for the well and gives the state permission to plug it and prepare the site for redevelopment.

Comments:

1. Lots of explaining to do on this one.  What barriers were in place in the well bore?
2. How can you “orphan” a well that hasn’t been temporarily abandoned or equipped with downhole plugs, especially in an area with vessel traffic?
3. No “deep pockets” responsible party on this one.  Cleanup costs will be paid from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.  Good luck collecting damage costs.
4. Bad practices yield bad results, regardless of location or water depth.