Steele Run II Well Plugging Package

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection issued Agency Request for Quote (ARFQ) DEP22-81 for the Steele Run II Well Plugging Package, a construction and reclamation project located in Ritchie County, West Virginia. This solicitation seeks comprehensive well plugging and site reclamation services for five abandoned oil and natural gas wells (API numbers 47-085-80603, 47-085-80604, 47-085-80605, 47-085-80608, and 47-085-90094), all of which were drilled prior to 1929 with estimated depths of 825 to 850 feet. The scope of work encompasses site preparation, well cleaning to total depth, setting cement plugs with gel spacers, removing free pipe, and comprehensive site reclamation in accordance with West Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Field Manual standards. Contractors must provide all equipment, materials, labor, and professional services, with work conducted Monday through Friday during standard ten-hour workdays unless otherwise approved by the Department. The procurement includes 59 line items covering drilling rig and crew operations (with a mandatory three-person minimum crew), mobilization and demobilization services, heavy equipment rental (bulldozers, excavators, skid steers), specialized drilling tools (power tongs, tri-cone bits, drill pipe, casing, and tubing), waste disposal services, environmental materials (absorbent booms, peat sorb, plastic rolls), and site reclamation materials, with pricing requested on hourly, daily, per-unit, or lump-sum bases depending on the line item. The mandatory pre-bid meeting was held on May 18, 2022, at 11:00 AM Eastern Time at the project site, with technical questions due by May 26, 2022, at 4:00 PM Eastern Time, and bids closing on June 2, 2022, at 10:30 AM. All bids must be submitted electronically through the wvOASIS Vendor Self Service system at www.wvOASIS.gov, and Addendum 1 clarified technical specifications, removed a duplicative line item, and addressed vendor questions regarding bond logs, payment methodologies for multiple attempts at pipe cutting, and contaminated soil analysis requirements.

All bidders must possess a valid West Virginia contractor's license prior to contract award and must submit several mandatory compliance documents with their bid submissions, including a notarized Drug Free Workplace Affidavit, a Bid Bond equal to five percent of the total bid amount, and a signed Procurement Affidavit certifying that neither the bidder nor related parties are in default on monetary obligations to the state or political subdivisions. For contracts exceeding $250,000, the apparent low bidder must submit a complete list of all subcontractors performing more than $25,000 of work within one business day of bid opening, including contractor names and license numbers; subcontractor substitutions are permitted only with written approval from the State Spending Unit under specific circumstances such as bankruptcy or debarment. For contracts valued at $1 million or more, vendors must submit an interested party disclosure form on the West Virginia Ethics Commission's prescribed form. The solicitation does not identify any specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or minority-owned businesses, nor does it specify an incumbent contractor or existing infrastructure requiring integration. The Department will award the contract to the lowest qualified responsible bidder within 45 calendar days after bid closing, with contract execution occurring within 14 calendar days of award notification. For contracts of $25,000 or more, contractors must provide performance and labor/materials payment bonds equal to 100 percent of the original contract price and maintain commercial general liability insurance with limits of $2,000,000 per occurrence, workers' compensation insurance, and employers' liability coverage. The solicitation documents do not specify a total contract value or budget range, requiring contractors to submit unit price quotations for evaluation and award determination.