UNSPSC 71121637: Sidetracking with whipstock services

Services to place a wedge in a wellbore to force the drill bit to start drilling in a direction away from the wellbore axis.

UNSPSC 71121637 Sidetracking with whipstock services is a Commodity code that encompasses well abandonment and plugging operations, site restoration, and associated infrastructure removal for orphaned oil and gas wells. State and local governments procure these services primarily through state energy and environmental departments managing remediation and decommissioning programs; the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and the Mississippi Oil and Gas Board are standout repeat buyers in recent activity. Work currently being solicited includes comprehensive orphan well plugging with site restoration—the Michigan EGLE issued four concurrent direct solicitations in July 2026 covering 38 combined orphan gas storage wells across Gratiot and Montcalm counties, each requiring unit pricing matrices for labor, equipment, materials, and specialized services (wireline, cementing, waste disposal), Davis-Bacon prevailing wage compliance, and evaluation weighted toward key personnel, business-owned equipment, technical experience, and vendor qualifications rather than price alone. The code shows dominant activity in Michigan and Mississippi, with recent opportunities also appearing in Texas and Florida for complementary well services and water infrastructure work; geographic concentration reflects state programs targeting orphaned well remediation funded through federal infrastructure grants and state environmental compliance initiatives.

The Michigan EGLE solicitations—direct solicitations DS 260000000032, 260000000033, 260000000034, and 260000000035, all posted June 29–July 16, 2026, with July 21, 2026 response deadlines—represent the most substantial recent activity under the code, targeting prequalified contractors with prior award history through five specified RFPs and mandatory pre-proposal meeting attendance. Mississippi Oil and Gas Board procurements (IFBs 3160007881, 3160007966, 3160007967) issued March–April 2026 for seven, three, and seven orphaned wells respectively demonstrate sustained federal funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Orphaned Wells Program, with bids due April–May 2026 and performance periods spanning May 2026 through May 2027. Evaluations across both state programs prioritize technical capability, equipment ownership, and personnel qualifications, with firm pricing and limited change-order authority, reflecting risk allocation typical of publicly funded environmental remediation where scope uncertainty and subsurface conditions require experienced, well-capitalized contractors.