Glacier National Park plans to plug historic Butte Oil Well

Glacier National Park announced in a press release on Wednesday, July 15, that it will begin work in late July to plug the historic Butte Oil Well at Kintla Lake. 

This well, which predates the establishment of the park, was selected for plugging after monitoring detected leaking gases. Work is expected to take several weeks and will be completed this fall. 

This project will temporarily affect the trail and camping access at the Kintla Lake area, according to the press release. The Kintla Lake Wilderness Campground is expected to be closed during helicopter operations and active construction, starting Monday, July 27, through August. According to the press release, visitors should check Recreation.gov for availability before overnight trips. 

The Kintla-Boulder Pass Trail along Kintla Lake will also be closed intermittently during four days of helicopter operations. Initial flights are scheduled for July 27-28 between approximately 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. 

Two additional days of helicopter operations will occur near the end of the project to remove equipment and materials that cannot be transported by boat. Those dates will be announced when available, the press release stated. 

The frontcountry campground at Kintla Lake will be open for first-come, first-served camping during construction. According to the press release, visitors should also expect increased construction traffic along the Inside North Fork Road between Polebridge and Kintla Lake. Construction equipment and activities may temporarily affect views and natural sounds around the lake. 

This project is being completed through the National Park Service’s Abandoned Mineral Lands program, which addresses historic mining sites and oil and gas wells established before lands became part of the National Park System.