UNSPSC 71121653: Directional drilling intangible costs

Intangible drilling costs include everything but the actual drilling equipment. Labor, chemicals, mud, grease, and other miscellaneous items necessary for drilling are considered intangible

UNSPSC 71121653 Directional drilling intangible costs is a Commodity code representing the engineering, planning, and soft-cost services associated with well plugging, abandonment, and aquifer assessment projects procured by state and local water and environmental authorities. State and local governments actually buy engineering design, project management, hydrogeological consulting, and permitting support for orphan well remediation, water well rehabilitation, and groundwater infrastructure conversion projects under this code—not directional drilling operations themselves, but the planning, regulatory coordination, and technical assessment work that precedes and accompanies plugging, construction, or reconversion of water and gas wells.

The issuing bodies span state environmental departments, county utilities and water management districts, municipal water systems, and special-purpose water authorities across the Southeast, Midwest, and West. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and the Texas General Land Office lead recent activity with multiple competitive solicitations. Representative recent opportunities include four direct solicitations from Michigan EGLE in July 2026 for orphan gas storage well plugging and site restoration in Gratiot and Montcalm counties (responses due July 21, 2026, IFB format, prequalified vendor lists required); the Mississippi Oil and Gas Board's April 2026 IFB for plugging and remediation of seven orphaned wells across five counties; the City of Bend, Oregon's May 2026 RFP for engineering design services on the River Well #1 rehabilitation project (budget approximately $525,000); the Eastern Municipal Water District's April 2026 RFP for well maintenance and rehabilitation services in Riverside County, California; and Marion County, Florida's May 2026 IFB for construction of four new potable water wells. Geographic activity concentrates in Michigan, Mississippi, Florida, and Texas, with supporting procurements in California, Georgia, Illinois, and the Pacific Northwest. The code shows consistent steady activity across state departments, county water utilities, and municipal water systems, typically structured as IFB or RFP vehicles with prequalification gates and Davis-Bacon or prevailing wage requirements when federal funds are involved.