UNSPSC 71161801: Oilfield waste compaction services

Services providing a means of compacting waste, reducing it in size to allow more to be stored in the same place (reduction in volume), ahead of onward transportation and disposal.

UNSPSC 71161801 Oilfield waste compaction services, Commodity code, describes the abandonment, plugging, and site restoration of orphaned oil and gas wells — work that state and local governments purchase primarily through state environmental and energy departments managing remediation programs funded by federal grants. Recent state and local solicitations under this code focus on comprehensive well abandonment including drilling, plugging with cement seals, equipment removal, waste disposal, site grading, and infrastructure restoration at individual well sites operated by private entities or state agencies.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy dominates recent activity, having posted four direct solicitations in July 2026 for plugging and site restoration of 38 orphaned gas storage wells across Gratiot and Montcalm counties—29 wells in three separate procurements due July 21, 2026 (RFx DS7612600000000322, DS7612600000000332, DS7612600000000342, DS7612600000000352) and an additional related opportunity. Mississippi's Oil and Gas Board has also issued multiple invitations for bid on orphaned well plugging across several counties, funded through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Orphaned Wells Program. The Michigan procurements employ direct solicitations (not open RFPs) restricted to prequalified contractors from prior RFP cycles, with proposals evaluated on technical factors (key personnel, equipment list, experience, vendor questions worksheet) at 100 points minimum for award consideration and final selection on best value rather than lowest price. Prevailing wage (Davis-Bacon Act) requirements apply across all recent opportunities, with conformed hourly rates ranging from $39.57 to $41.32 per hour plus fringe benefits of $25.25 to $40.00. Geographic spread is concentrated in Michigan (Gratiot and Montcalm counties) and Mississippi (multiple counties across the state), with secondary activity in Texas and Florida well-related construction that diverges from the code's nominal oilfield focus. Contractors pursuing this code should expect prequalification screening, mandatory pre-bid meetings, detailed 68-line-item pricing matrices, project timelines segmented by site prep and restoration phases, and firm pricing with no change order flexibility.