State Abandonment of Orphan Wells Project – Phase 2: Santa Maria Valley/Cat Canyon/Rincon

The project involves the plug and abandonment of five orphan oil and gas wells located in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties under CalGEM’s State Abandonment Program, with the goal of eliminating environmental and public safety hazards associated with non-producing, improperly abandoned wells. Work includes cleaning each well, plugging the borehole with cement and inert mud to surface, removing wellheads and surface conductors, cutting remaining casings, and restoring the site with compacted suitable fill. The wells are situated in industrial, recreational, and agricultural areas within established oil fields, specifically North Orcutt 3 and 8 in Santa Barbara County, Union-Continental 1 in Ventura County, Needham 1 in Los Angeles County, and Hobson Fee 4 in Los Angeles County, each identified by unique API numbers and geographic coordinates. The project has been determined exempt from full environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to categorical exemptions Classes 1, 4, 7, and 8, as CalGEM has concluded the activities will not result in significant environmental impacts. While the solicitation is posted as a forecast action with no formal contract number or pricing details, the work is administered by the California Department of Conservation’s Geologic Energy Management Division, with oversight and acceptance responsibilities retained by CalGEM. Performance occurs directly at the well sites, with inspection and acceptance conducted on-site in compliance with CalGEM regulatory standards under the California Code of Regulations, particularly 14 CCR §§ 15301, 15304, and 1684.1–1684.2. No federal acquisition regulations, military standards, or special contract clauses are applicable or specified; instead, the project is governed entirely by state environmental and well abandonment protocols. Contact for program inquiries is provided through the CEQA Program at the Department of Conservation in Sacramento, with no detailed procurement evaluation criteria, payment instructions, or contractor-specific certifications included in the documentation.