Federal multi-well plugging contract - wirt & ritchie

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Oil and Gas, is conducting an Agency Request for Quote (ARFQ DEP26-056) 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 procurement seeks qualified contractors to provide construction, reclamation, and plugging services across the identified well sites, with deliverables including permitting for all thirty-three wells, individual well plugging services, and wellsite reclamation activities for each well identified by API number. Contractors must demonstrate expertise in environmental remediation, well abandonment procedures, and compliance with federal Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements applicable to heavy construction work. The mandatory pre-bid meeting is scheduled for December 17, 2025, at 9:00 AM Eastern Time at the Staunton Turnpike staging area, with technical questions due by December 23, 2025, at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. Bids must be submitted electronically through the wvOASIS Vendor Self Service portal by January 9, 2026, at 10:30 AM, which serves as both the bid closing and opening date. All bidders must submit a 5% bid bond, and the apparent low bidder must furnish performance and labor/material payment bonds each equal to 100% of the contract value prior to award. Required qualifications include Contractor's Public Liability Insurance and Comprehensive Vehicle Liability Insurance with minimum limits of $2,000,000 per occurrence and aggregate, compliance with all applicable state and federal environmental regulations including the Endangered Species Act and State Historic Preservation Office requirements, and adherence to West Virginia 811 utility locating procedures.

The solicitation documents do not identify any specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting respondents to particular organization types, indicating the opportunity is open to qualified contractors meeting the specified insurance and bonding requirements. No incumbent contractor is identified in the solicitation materials. The contract is federally funded under Section 40601 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and is therefore subject to the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA), requiring that all iron, steel, manufactured products, and materials that become permanent parts of well structures be produced in the United States, with cement exempted from these requirements. The contract is structured as a term contract with an initial one-year term from the effective start date, with renewal options available for up to three successive one-year periods subject to mutual written consent and West Virginia Attorney General approval. Payment is structured per-well upon completion of each phase (permitting, plugging, and reclamation), contingent on submission of required documentation including OOG Form WR-38, SQAO affidavits (Forms IR-9C1 and IR-9C2), and permit release documentation. The solicitation documents do not specify unit prices or total contract values, as pricing is to be determined through the competitive bidding process, and contractors are required to submit detailed cost proposals for each line item. A six-month warranty period will apply following Department acceptance of completed work.