Federal E3 Multi-Well Plugging Package Group A

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Oil and Gas, issued an Agency Request for Quote (ARFQ) solicitation number DEP26-13 for the Federal E3 Multi-Well Plugging Package Group A, a construction and environmental remediation project located in Wayne County. The procurement seeks bids for permitting, well plugging, and wellsite reclamation services for twenty orphaned and abandoned oil and natural gas wells formerly registered to E3 Petroleum Corp that became orphaned through bond forfeiture in 2024. The scope of work encompasses three primary line items: permitting services for all twenty wells, plugging services for each individual well identified by specific API numbers, and wellsite reclamation activities including seeding of access roads and stream crossing air bridge installation. Contractors must comply with Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements with weekly certified payroll submissions, maintain commercial general liability and automobile liability insurance with minimum limits of $2,000,000 per occurrence, and carry workers' compensation insurance. The project requires completion within 365 days from the notice to proceed and is subject to Endangered Species Act Section 7 compliance and National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 compliance, with archaeological monitoring required at specific well locations. Additionally, post-plugging methane emissions testing must be conducted at least 60 days following well plugging completion, with any wells showing leakage to be remediated by the contractor at no additional cost. The mandatory pre-bid meeting was held on August 27, 2025, at 9:00 AM Eastern Time at a location near the intersection of Route 75 and Ferndale Road; technical questions had a deadline of September 2, 2025, at 2:00 PM Eastern Time; and bids were due September 11, 2025, at 10:30 AM (as modified by Addendum No. 3), with electronic submission required through the wvOASIS Vendor Self Service platform.

The solicitation documentation does not specify set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting bidder eligibility based on organizational type, nor are incumbent vendors or current contractors identified. The project is federally funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Section 40601, and is subject to Buy America requirements mandating domestic production of iron, steel, and construction materials unless approved waivers are obtained. Contractors must submit a bid bond equal to five percent of the total bid amount along with performance and labor/material payment bonds equal to 100% of the contract value prior to award. The contract is structured as a fixed-period engagement, and contractors are responsible for obtaining all necessary permits including floodplain permits, Department of Health permits, and MM-109 permits for all roads and entrances per Department of Health Oil and Gas policy. No specific award value or budget range is disclosed in the solicitation documents, as vendors are required to submit unit pricing and total prices for each line item. Project oversight will be provided by the Department of Environmental Protection through a designated Project Coordinator and an independent third-party Supplemental Quality Assurance Officer with regular on-site presence.