UNSPSC 71121401: Oilfield drilling bit design services

Bit engineering/design services.

UNSPSC 71121401 Oilfield drilling bit design services is a Commodity-level code that does not match the scope of work actually being solicited under recent state and local contract opportunities. The code's nominal scope—oilfield drilling bit design—is specialized to oil and gas exploration and production, yet the recent opportunities posted under this code are predominantly well plugging, abandonment, rehabilitation, and site restoration services for orphaned oil and gas wells, water wells, monitoring wells, and municipal water infrastructure. These are remediation, construction, and maintenance activities rather than drilling bit design services. Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has posted four direct solicitations in July 2026 for orphan well plugging and site restoration across Gratiot and Montcalm counties, each with proposals due July 21, 2026 (DS 260000000032, DS 260000000033, DS 260000000034, and DS 260000000035), encompassing 38 gas storage wells total and requiring unit pricing for 68 line items covering labor, equipment rental, materials, drilling services, cementing, waste disposal, and site restoration. The code also shows activity from Mississippi Oil and Gas Board (multiple invitations for plugging and reclamation of seven orphaned wells each in early 2026), Texas General Land Office (high hydrogen sulfide well services), Illinois Department of Natural Resources (well and pump system construction), and Florida counties including Seminole, Sarasota, Marion, and Collier (water well construction, well maintenance, and pump station services), alongside nonprofits and municipalities in Georgia, Oregon, California, and Texas soliciting water well drilling, rehabilitation, testing, and engineering design services.

The issuing bodies are predominantly state environmental and natural resource departments (Michigan EGLE, Mississippi OGB, Texas General Land Office, Illinois DNR) alongside county utilities departments, municipal water authorities, and regional water districts (Seminole County, Sarasota County, Eastern Municipal Water District, San Bernardino County). Activity concentrates heavily in Michigan (four July 2026 solicitations), Mississippi (three 2026 solicitations), Texas (multiple well and pipeline services), and Florida (Seminole, Sarasota, Marion, Collier, Hillsborough counties), with secondary activity in California, Oregon, Illinois, and Georgia. Representative recent opportunities include the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy direct solicitations for three to fourteen orphan wells each in Gratiot County (July 2026, IFB format, July 21, 2026 responses due, Davis-Bacon prevailing wage, pre-qualified contractors only); the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners water well maintenance and repair services ITB (June 2026, $688,073 estimated value, two-year term); and the Eastern Municipal Water District well maintenance and rehabilitation RFP (April 2026, five-year term, multiple awards anticipated). The code shows little relevant recent activity in true oilfield drilling bit design, indicating either a misclassification of opportunities in the procurement system or minimal state and local market demand for the drilling bit design services the code nominally describes.