I don’t recall seeing mountains like this in Saskatchewan, but then I haven’t been any farther north than Saskatoon.

A report last year by provincial auditor Judy Ferguson noted
that the number of inactive oil and gas wells in Saskatchewan had
ballooned by 90 per cent between 2005 and 2017. The Ministry of Energy
and Resources (MER) pegged the future cost of abandonment (capping) and
reclamation at $4 billion.

Even though the ministry points to
several programs it says will ensure the energy industry picks up the
tab — annual levies on the industry toward an Oil and Gas Orphan Fund
and the government’s Licensee Liability Rating (LLR) program, which
requires a security deposit from higher-risk licensees — there’s little
reason for confidence.