Orphan Well Adoption Agency (OWAA) is preparing for its official launch in September 2017. Throughout the month of July, 2017, OWAA workers will continue documenting orphan well sites in rural areas outside of Calgary, Alberta.

The OWAA is dedicated to finding “forever homes” for abandoned oil wells through symbolic adoptions. In an effort towards remediation and healing, the OWAA is in pursuit of facilitating relationships of divestment.

As the oil and gas industry enters rocky times, the orphanage is growing. With over 80,000 inactive oil wells across the province of Alberta, there are 1,400 orphan wells up for adoption this year. At this time, it is critical to ensure that orphan wells receive time, attention, and care, not only for their wellbeing but for the health of their immediate environment.

This summer, donate to the Orphan Well Adoption Agency:

A donation of $15 or more you will receive a postcard of an orphan well that is currently in need of a caretaker.

A donation of $150 or more, you will receive an artist’s rendering of an orphan well.

A donation of $250 or more, you will receive a postcard of an orphan well, an artist’s rendering of an orphan well, a personalized letter from an orphan well, and a drawing from the Inner End (Service Roads) series.

*The Orphan Well Adoption Agency (OWAA) is not to be confused with The Orphan Well Association (OWA), a not-for-profit association funded by the oil and gas industry that manages the abandonment of Alberta upstream oil and gas orphan wells and the reclamation their sites. OWAA has no affiliation with the OWA, the Alberta Energy Regulator and is not funded by the oil and gas industry. The Orphan Well Adoption Agency is a public art project by artist Alana Bartol. All adoptions are symbolic.

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