ABSTRACTMedina gas wells and oil wells in northwestern Pennsylvania, northeastern Ohio, and western New York create a potential for contamination of the fresh‐water aquifers that overlie the production zones of these wells. Most of these wells are constructed in a manner which results in an open annulus which is a few hundred to a few thousand feet long below the surface casing of the well. This annulus is a potential avenue of migration of contaminants from strata of higher hydrodynamic pressure into formations of lower hydrodynamic pressure. If gas from the strata exposed to the annulus is not permitted to escape to the atmosphere, the annulus may become pressurized, and a hydraulic gradient may be created between the potential contaminants in the annulus (e.g., brine and/or natural gas) and the overlying fresh‐water aquifers. If a permeability pathway exists between the pressurized annulus and an overlying fresh‐water aquifer, contamination of the aquifer will result.The risk of contaminating fresh ground water with the contents of a gas‐ or oil‐well annulus could be greatly reduced by filling the annulus with cement. An alternative precaution would be to operate the well in a manner that does not allow the annulus pressure to exceed the normal pressure of the formations exposed to the annulus.