Walker Ranch - Case Study at Scale

Carbon X Credits, a leading force in methane mitigation and verified carbon credit generation, has successfully completed its flagship large-scale pilot program in the heart of the Fort Worth Basin. The Walker Ranch Project targeted 24 severely neglected legacy natural gas wells—many of which had been inactive and leaking methane for years.

Located west of Fort Worth near Breckenridge, Texas, the ranch represents a microcosm of the broader U.S. energy challenge: hundreds of thousands of low-producing, non-core wells abandoned through decades of asset transfers, bankruptcies, and operator turnover. These wells, while no longer profitable, are potent sources of uncontrolled methane emissions—a greenhouse gas over 80 times more powerful than CO₂ on a 20-year timescale (IPCC AR6).

Through a combination of climate financing, regulatory collaboration, and high-integrity carbon development, the Walker Ranch Project became Carbon X’s largest field initiative to date. The work included:

• Baseline Measurement – High-resolution methane quantification conducted by QMS-certified technicians from True Methane Technologies using EPA-approved protocols and advanced laser-based instrumentation.
• Permanent Well Plugging – Multi-barrier isolation and gas-blocking cement formulations executed by Orr Energy Services, backed by pressure testing and third-party review.
• Permanence Assurance – Cement plug tagging, GPS location logging, and post-plug monitoring to guarantee that methane emissions are halted in perpetuity.
• Habitat Restoration – In partnership with Quail Forever and Texas Parks & Wildlife, the surface was re-seeded with native prairie grass to restore pollinator and wildlife habitat across the ranch.
• Expanded Co-Benefits – From soil health improvements and native grassland restoration to reduced groundwater contamination risk and improved landowner trust, the project delivers a layered suite of environmental and social benefits beyond methane abatement.
• Tech Demonstration Hub – Launched a continuous monitoring program testing real-time methane sensors from multiple providers, establishing Walker Ranch as a field laboratory for high-integrity, post-closure emissions verification.

This project generated and was issued the first 80% of ~321,00 high-integrity carbon credits, verified under top-tier protocols and supported by scientific transparency. 250,000 of those credits have been successfully placed with a corporate purchaser, marking a major milestone for climate finance and for the Walker Ranch landowners.

As part of its legacy stewardship commitment, Carbon X is also launching first-of-its-kind daily continuous monitoring at the ranch, deploying and testing technology from three different methane sensor innovators. This initiative aims to establish best practices for long-term emissions surveillance after wells are plugged—offering unprecedented transparency and validation for permanent methane abatement.

By transforming environmental liabilities into verified climate assets, the Walker Ranch Project provides a replicable blueprint for scaling methane mitigation across millions of neglected wells in the U.S. energy landscape.

Methane: The Invisible Threat

Methane is often called the hidden greenhouse gas. Invisible to the naked eye and odorless in low concentrations, it escapes silently from millions of neglected oil and gas wells across the United States. Yet its impact is anything but invisible: methane is more than 84 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period (IPCC AR6), making it one of the most urgent short-lived climate pollutants to address.

Unlike CO₂, which lingers in the atmosphere for centuries, methane’s effects are front-loaded—meaning reductions today deliver outsized benefits within our lifetimes. Because methane breaks down more quickly in the atmosphere than CO₂, cutting emissions now is one of the most effective ways to make near-term pollution progress.

The challenge is scale. Millions of inactive, unplugged wells dot the U.S. landscape (EPA), many leaking methane unchecked for decades. These wells are often legacy assets acquired through bankruptcies, neglected by undercapitalized operators, or simply abandoned when production ceased. Without intervention, they continue to leak daily, polluting air and groundwater while imposing hidden liabilities on landowners and communities.

Carbon X addresses this invisible threat head-on. By detecting leaks with precision equipment, permanently plugging wells using best-in-class techniques, and validating results through multiple layers of third-party verification, we transform methane abatement into a verifiable, financeable solution. Every well sealed and every ton of methane stopped represents a tangible win: for the climate, for local ecosystems, and for the integrity of sustainability efforts.

“Legacy wells are leaking today, and we can’t afford to wait for policy shifts or long regulatory timelines to address them. At Carbon X, we’ve built a model that delivers immediate, verifiable climate impact by transforming environmental liabilities into high-integrity carbon assets. Every well we seal is one more step toward a cleaner energy future and proof that market-based solutions can drive real change at scale.”

‍— Whitney Landress, CEO, Carbon X Credits

Wells On Your Property?

Do you have old oil or gas wells on your land that you think may be leaking? Carbon X can help. Our team specializes in evaluating legacy wells and developing solutions to permanently seal them, stop harmful methane emissions, and restore the land to a healthier state.

Many of the wells we work on are aging, low-producing, or abandoned wells that no longer generate value for operators and often burden landowners with environmental and financial risk. By partnering with us, you can ensure your property is evaluated by experts, plugged to the highest standards, and potentially included in a carbon credit project that funds the cost of remediation.

If you believe you may have wells on your property that need attention, please reach out to our team on our Contact Page. Together, we can assess the site, determine the best path forward, and contribute to meaningful climate action while improving the value and safety of your land.