702700_Aera_UIC

Aera Energy LLC has been granted regulatory approval to rework a single existing oil and gas well, API #0403040891, known as Heard & Painter 57, located in the heavily developed Midway-Sunset Oil Field in Kern County, California. The project involves minor remedial operations aimed at restoring well integrity without expanding production capacity or altering surface infrastructure. Work will be conducted within a 20,000-square-foot operational footprint per site, with the total area for all activities in the administrative grouping reaching approximately 40,000 square feet, and each rework phase is estimated to take four days once initiated. The project falls under multiple California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) categorical exemptions, including Classes 1, 2, 4, 7, and 8, which collectively support the determination that the work involves maintenance, replacement of existing components, and minor alterations with negligible long-term environmental impact. No new facilities, expanded use, or significant resource disruption is proposed, and all activities occur within an already industrialized area of the oil field. Regulatory oversight and acceptance authority rest with the California Department of Conservation, Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM), which issued the Notice of Exemption on August 15, 2025, with public notice posted on August 18, 2025. The project does not involve federal contracting mechanisms, and no FAR clauses, pricing data, delivery schedules, packaging requirements, or procurement-specific terms such as evaluation factors, payment instructions, contract options, or key personnel specifications are applicable or included. The regulatory framework is entirely state-driven, with no federal acquisition elements, financial estimates, or formal contracting obligations beyond compliance with CEQA and CalGEM regulations. All project documentation, including environmental assessments, is accessible via the State Clearinghouse and CalGEM’s central office in Bakersfield, and the well-specific location is identified by legal description and geographic coordinates within Section 3, Township 11N, Range 24W, Base SB. The project is not a competitive procurement and does not require submission of proposals or certifications typically associated with federal contracts.