Oil and natural gas wells across the NASA ABoVE domain: fugitive methane emissions and broader environmental impacts

Abstract Arctic-boreal regions are experiencing major anthropogenic disturbances in addition to intensifying natural disturbance regimes as a consequence of climate change. Oil and gas (OG) activities extensive the region western North America, large portion which is underlain by permafrost. The total number distribution OG wells their potential fate remain unclear. Consequently, collective impacts on cultural resources, human health emissions methane (CH 4 ), poorly understood. Using public well databases, we analysed drilled between 1984 2018 across Core Domain NASA Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (‘ABoVE domain’). We identified 242 007 ABoVE domain, almost two thirds now inactive or abandoned wells. found that annual drilling has increased from 269 8599 2014 with around 1000, 700 1800 annually evergreen forest, deciduous forest herbaceous land cover types, respectively. 65 588 sites were permafrost 2012. Fugitive CH active Canadian domain accounted for approximately 13% Canada 2018. Our analysis an potentially non-negligible consequences local populations, ecosystems, system.