US needs $30bn to seal 14,000 unplugged offshore oil and gas wells: study

The cost to secure thousands of inactive oil and gas wells in the US Gulf of Mexico could top $30 billion, according to research published Monday weighing potential environmental damage against the estimated price tag.

Researchers in the United States found there are some 14,000 unplugged oil and gas wells that are either officially idle or have been inactive for at least five years in the waters off the southeastern coast of the United States.