National nonprofit that pioneered certified carbon credits from orphan well plugging now offers Climate Benefit Unit™ verified credits at an industry-leading price

RED LODGE, MT / ACCESS Newswire / October 14, 2026 / The Well Done Foundation (WDF), the first nonprofit organization to bring certified high-integrity carbon credits from orphan oil and gas well plugging to market, today announced it is relaunching its Climate Benefit Unit™ (CBU) program which are verified carbon credits available at $7 per metric ton of CO₂e. These credits have achieved a BB rating from BeZero Carbon.

The A. Lorenzen in Toole County, Montana is a legacy orphan gas well that remained effectively open and emitting for nearly 100 years until it was plugged on September 6, 2023. The methane emissions were eliminated, and the impacted surface areas have been fully restored.

The new pricing makes WDF’s carbon credits among the most affordable high-integrity offsets available, reinforcing the organization’s belief that orphan well carbon credits should not cost more. Each credit follows a standard registry methodology and is third-party verified.

“We created the Climate Benefit Unit™ back in 2020 because we saw the need for a market-based solution to one of the biggest solvable environmental challenges in America,” said Curtis Shuck, Founder and Chairman of WDF. “Doing the right thing shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. With these CBUs priced at just $7.00 per ton of CO2e, there is no reason why every individual, business, and organization committed to climate action can’t be a part of this solution. The more credits that get purchased, the more wells we can plug. It’s easy math and is really quite that simple.”

The average American household generates up to 11 metric tons of CO₂ annually, meaning just 11 CBUs at $7 each can neutralize an entire year’s carbon footprint.
— (Source: EPA’s GHG Equivalencies Calculator)

WDF’s verified carbon credits make it simple to offset the everyday emissions that come with modern life.

A Track Record of Firsts

WDF has been a pioneer in orphan well carbon finance since its founding in 2019. The organization was the original sponsor of the American Carbon Registry’s methodology for quantification and verification of greenhouse gas emissions reductions from plugging orphaned oil and gas wells, published in May 2023. Since then, WDF has developed more than 1,000,000 carbon credits and has eliminated more than 5,000,000 tons of CO2e through plugging more than 130 orphan oil and gas wells across the United States.

The Climate Benefit Unit™, a registered trademark of the Well Done Foundation established in July 2020, represents the removal, capture, or elimination of methane gas equal to one metric ton of CO₂e, generated as the specific result of a certified WDF orphaned well plugging and surface restoration project. Each CBU is listed and certified by CarbonPath, independently verified for additionality and permanence, and registered on the blockchain as a unique digital certificate of ownership.

Why $7 Per Ton

Orphan wells are among the most cost-effective sources of verified emissions reductions. When WDF plugs a well, the methane stops that day, permanently. There is no waiting decades for results, no uncertainty about permanence, and no risk of reversal. WDF’s transparent process, from detection through third-party verification to permanent plugging, ensures every credit represents real, measurable impact. That same commitment to transparency extends to the organization itself: WDF has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, the highest level of recognition awarded by the nation’s leading source of information on nonprofits.
By offering CBUs at $7 per CO₂e, WDF is removing the cost barrier that has kept many organizations on the sidelines of the voluntary carbon market. WDF welcomes requests for bulk purchase of these verified carbon credits.

Impact to Date

To date, WDF has plugged more than 130 orphaned wells, eliminating over 5 million metric tons of CO₂e emissions across 26 states. The organization works in partnership with CarbonPath (carbon registry), Cloverly (commerce platform), ALL Consulting (third-party verification), and BeZero Carbon (rating agency), along with landowners, government agencies, and other nonprofits.

Proceeds from bulk CBU carbon credit sales are reinvested directly into plugging additional orphaned wells nationwide.

To learn more or purchase Climate Benefit Unit™ verified carbon credits visit https://welldonefoundation.org/carbon-credits/. To purchase carbon credits in bulk, email sales@welldonefoundation.org.

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About the Well Done Foundation: Founded in 2019, the Well Done Foundation mitigates the threat posed by the estimated 3.5 million orphaned oil and gas wells across the United States. WDF locates, measures, plugs, and restores these sites in partnership with landowners, government agencies, corporations, and nonprofits. To date, WDF has plugged more than 130 wells, eliminating over 5 million metric tons of CO₂e emissions. Learn more at welldonefoundation.org.

Media Contact: Dave Tragethon, Communications Director, Well Done Foundation, 503.680.2685 / dave@welldonefoundation.org

SOURCE: Well Done Foundation

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