how much does it cost to purchase a turned off well? I mean that in the literal sense, how much would it cost for me to go pitch a tent on a capped pipe sticking out of the ground and say "this is mine"?
Starting up a decommissioned well is not simple. There’s a lot of safety protocols to check and procedures to follow to ensure that it will start up properly. You also need to make sure it's linked up to crude processing facilities however small the production is. That's why a lot of american producers are reluctant to completely shut down production right now since its a headache to start back up
You also have to follow regulatory/bonding requirements to cover cleanup.