Eleven thousand wells. No responsible operator. No remediation timeline. The methane they emit is invisible, odorless, and 84 times more potent than CO₂ over a 20-year horizon. Federal funding covers less than 10% of the documented need.
Avir Carbon is the first private-capital platform executing a whole-state measurement and abatement program against this inventory, converting a structural liability into a verified, institutional-grade carbon asset.
Texas Railroad Commission Orphan Well Program, 2025 · IPCC AR6 Working Group I · U.S. DOE Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding data
“I looked for someone who would stand in the gap on behalf of the land, but found none.”
| Figure | Context |
|---|---|
| 11,000 | Documented orphan wells in Texas with no responsible operator and no scheduled remediation Texas Railroad Commission, 2025 |
| 84× | Global warming potential of methane vs. CO₂ over a 20-year horizon IPCC AR6 |
| <10% | Share of documented Texas remediation need covered by existing federal and state funding DOE IIJA allocation data |
| 4.6M | People living within 1 kilometer of a documented orphan well nationally Resources for the Future, 2023 |
The orphan well problem is a structural consequence of American oil and gas development. When operators become insolvent, their wells revert to state inventory with no bonded remediation obligation. In Texas, that inventory has grown every year for the past decade.
These wells are not legacy artifacts. They are active emitters. The methane they release today carries a climate forcing 84 times greater than CO₂ over the next 20 years. No regulatory mechanism compels their closure. No economic incentive exists to plug them without a functioning credit market.
The gap between documented need and available public capital is not a short-term funding delay. It is a permanent structural deficit. Closing it requires private capital and a credit mechanism that makes closing profitable.
Every decision begins with data collected in the field. We do not model. We do not estimate. We measure.
Not every well qualifies. Independent review determines which sites meet the threshold for permanent intervention. The standard is high by design.
Abatement that is confirmed, registered, and permanent. Credits issued once. Delivered to institutional buyers under structured agreements.
Projected CAGR of the methane credit market, 2025 to 2030. The fastest-growing segment in voluntary carbon markets.
MSCI Carbon Markets, 2024
Companies holding Science-Based Targets initiative commitments. Structural demand that does not track ESG sentiment cycles.
SBTi Corporate Dashboard, 2025
No other private capital vehicle is executing at scale against the Texas orphan well inventory. The Permian Basin's thermogenic geology produces materially higher per-well credit yields than biogenic formations.
Texas Railroad Commission data; independent geological assessment
Verified orphan well credits are among the most additional products in the voluntary market. No responsible operator. No regulatory mandate. No economic incentive to plug absent carbon credit revenue.
American Carbon Registry methodology; VCS additionality standards
Structural corporate demand is durable and growing faster than verified supply. The methane credit market is expanding at 52% annually. No private capital vehicle holds a comparable position against this inventory. The question is not whether this market develops. The question is who controls the supply when it does.
Avir Carbon's Texas methane abatement program is made available to qualified investors and institutional buyers through direct introduction. To request a briefing or discuss an investment, submit your details below.
Qualified and accredited investors only. All initial conversations are conducted under mutual NDA. This site does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation to buy any security.