Multiple Opportunities Open for Small and Tribally-Owned Business to Plug Orphaned Wells on Federal Lands
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds opportunities in the Lower 48 states
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Bureau of Land Management this week announced opportunities for both small and Tribally-owned businesses to bid on orphaned well plugging and restoration projects on federal lands, which will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $4.7 billion over five years to plug wells, clean up environmental hazards, create good paying jobs, and reduce methane emissions from orphaned wells, of which $250 million will clean up orphaned wells specifically on federal lands. Earlier this year, the Department allocated an initial $33 million to clean up 277 wells in national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges and on other public lands.
“This work will protect local communities while restoring lands affected by past oil and gas development,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. “Cleaning up these orphaned wells can also significantly contribute to local economies – a win for everyone.”
The potential contracting opportunities involve many federal jurisdictions, including lands managed by Department of the Interior agencies like the BLM, Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs. The contracts also cover USDA Forest Service lands.
These Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) announcements, which can be viewed on SAM.gov, are specifically set aside for small businesses throughout the Lower 48 states, including Tribally-owned businesses in Regions 2 (Texas, Oklahoma and Adjacent States) and Region 3 (Rocky Mountain Region).
Awards made under this contract will have a guaranteed minimum of $25,000 for each task order. The resultant IDIQ contracts will have a five-year ordering period. Multiple awards are expected to be made for tens of millions of dollars’ worth of contracts in each of four regions.
Companies interested in this solicitation currently have until January 10, 2023, to submit their bids to the BLM’s National Operations Center in Denver, Colorado, and are encouraged to monitor the solicitation for future amendments.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.