Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE starting June 12 2026

The mission to plug the world's two million abandoned oil wells

A rusty abandoned oil well pump jack

A rusty abandoned oil well pump jack Source: Getty

Millions of disused and abandoned oil and gas wells are leaking the greenhouse gas methane into the atmosphere.


Published

By Pratiksha Ghildial (BBC)

Source: SBS


Share this with family and friends


Millions of disused and abandoned oil and gas wells are leaking the greenhouse gas methane into the atmosphere.


This item was first broadcast on the BBC World Service


Latest podcast episodes

Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Watch now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world