UNSPSC 71121626: Short radius directional well drilling services

Drilling wells which typically have a curvature radius of 20 to 45 feet, usually dug outwards from a previously drilled vertical well.

UNSPSC 71121626 Short radius directional well drilling services (Commodity) encompasses well plugging, abandonment, and site restoration at orphaned gas storage wells, the primary activity currently solicited by state and local governments under this code. State and local buyers—chiefly state environmental and energy departments, county solid waste authorities, and municipal water utilities—procure comprehensive well drilling and plugging services including equipment rental, labor by trade classification, cementing, wireline operations, waste disposal, and site remediation as turnkey or itemized service packages. The scope spans routine abandonments of shallow wells to complex remediation of multi-well fields with specialized equipment such as derrick rigs, mud systems, and BOP rentals, often subject to prevailing wage requirements and environmental compliance mandates.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy dominates recent activity under this code, having posted four direct solicitations in July 2026 for orphan well plugging across Gratiot and Montcalm counties—covering three wells, fourteen wells, twelve wells, and nine wells respectively, all due July 21, 2026—restricting bidders to contractors prequalified through prior RFPs and requiring attendance at mandatory pre-proposal meetings. Additional activity appears across Texas, Florida, Mississippi, Oregon, and California, where state oil and gas boards, county governments, municipalities, and water districts solicit well plugging, drilling, rehabilitation, and testing services. Geographic concentration reflects orphaned well remediation programs in oil and gas regions (Texas, Mississippi, Michigan) and municipal water infrastructure renewal in the Southeast and West. Representative recent opportunities include the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy direct solicitation for Orphan Well New Haven Section 3—three wells in Gratiot County (DS7612600000000322, due July 21, 2026, IFB format)—and the Eastern Municipal Water District RFP 3931 for on-call well maintenance and rehabilitation services covering 32 water wells and multiple booster pump locations in Riverside County, California (proposals due April 23, 2026). Davis-Bacon and California prevailing wage requirements apply frequently; technical evaluation typically weights key personnel, business-owned equipment adequacy, company experience, and vendor responsiveness equally at 25 points each, with 80-point minimums for award consideration and selection on best value rather than lowest price.