Taking the pulse of aging oil wells in the Permian Basin from space

Highlights: • Hydrocarbon production has been conducted in the Permian Basin for decades. • Geohazards (e.g., subsidence, sinkholes) emerged over mismanaged aging wells. • Geohazards led to transformation of landscapes such as creation of Boehmer Lake. • InSAR provides additional capability to monitor aging oil wells from space. Thousands of unplugged abandoned oil wells throughout the Permian Basin – one of world's leading oil plays – have potential to create ground instability and damage the environment due to aging facilities and instances of mismanagement. Satellite radar remote sensing technologies, capable of detecting subtle surface changes over time with broad geographic coverage, are a valuable tool for monitoring the health and integrity of aging oil wells by gauging the stability of the well and its surroundings.