Located in the Kevin-Sunburst Field, located in Toole County, Montana, was drilled almost 100 years ago, this orphaned Anderson 5 well (API: 25-101-09894) was drilled in 1926 to a depth of approximately 1,500 feet. Over the years, the Anderson 5 well changed operators multiple times, was not in operation in 2020, and the farm owner requested support to plug the orphaned oil well as it created a significant health and safety risk for his property, wildlife, surface environment, and nearby residents. Agriculture is the principal industry in the local area.
Toole County, Montana is stretched between the Marius River and the Canadian border covering 1,946 square miles. It was created in 1914 with land taken from Hill and Teton Counties. The county gets its name from Joseph Toole who served two terms as Montana’s governor. Toole was the first governor of Montana state, serving from 1889 to 1893. Toole County was a boom area for oil production in the early and mid 20th century. In 1922, just four miles north of Kevin, oil was discovered. In the next five years, over 1,500 oil wells went into operation.
The Approval to Plug was approved by the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation to fill the wellbore from 1,500 feet and plugged to the surface. Enneberg Excavation from Kevin, Montana was contracted to perform the plugging work on November 11, 2021. The Inspection Report was issued on February 3, 2022 and was deemed compliant, with the well plugged, no discharge, a signed release from the farm owner was on file, the site had been restored to allow for successful farming, and no further reclamation was required.
