Federal multi-well plugging contract - wirt & ritchie

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Oil and Gas is seeking bids for a Federal Multi-Well Plugging Contract covering thirty-three orphaned and abandoned oil and natural gas wells located in Wirt and Ritchie Counties. The project encompasses comprehensive services including permitting, well plugging, and wellsite reclamation for specific wells identified by API numbers. Contractors will be responsible for all costs associated with field activities, labor, materials, equipment, and compliance with Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements for federally funded infrastructure projects. A mandatory pre-bid meeting was scheduled for December 17, 2025, at 9:00 AM Eastern Time, with technical questions due by December 23, 2025, at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. The solicitation (ARFQ DEP26-056) requires electronic bid submissions through wvOASIS by January 9, 2026, at 10:30 AM, with a contract term of one calendar year and potential renewal options for up to three successive one-year periods.

The contract is federally funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Section 40601 and is subject to Buy America requirements, mandating that all construction materials and equipment be produced in the United States. Bidders must provide a five percent bid bond and, if awarded, must submit performance and labor/material payment bonds each equal to 100% of the contract value. Insurance requirements include Commercial General Liability and Automobile Liability with minimum limits of two million dollars per occurrence. Contractors must comply with environmental regulations, including Endangered Species Act Section 9 and State Historic Preservation Office requirements. While no specific set-aside designations are mentioned, the project includes specific compliance requirements such as prevailing wage rates, paid sick leave provisions, and a minimum wage of $13.30 per hour for covered workers in 2025. Although a specific contract value is not explicitly stated, the comprehensive nature of the project involving thirty-three wells suggests a significant infrastructure investment with potentially substantial financial scope.