Illinois Landowner Grant Program Accepting Applications

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Marc Miller says private property owners in Illinois can receive funding assistance to plug abandoned oil and gas wells located on their property.

The IDNR Office of Oil and Gas Resource Management, which administers the program, is now accepting applications from qualifying landowners. Miller said the program is an effort to help landowners return their property to its original use.

Plugging is the process of removing production equipment and decommissioning a well that is no longer in use by sealing the well, usually by filling it with cement and drilling mud to a prescribed depth and restoring the well to its pre-production condition.

For detailed information on the application process, a list of eligible wells and a copy of the application form, follow this link: http://www.dnr.Illinois.gov/OilandGas/Pages/ProgramsandRegulations.aspx  

Copies of the application form can be obtained by contacting the Office of Oil and Gas Resource Management, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702-1271, phone 217-782-7756.