Interest in the remediation program for the unplugged “legacy wells” in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) will be tested early in the new year as the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has scheduled an industry day and a separate day for one-on-one meetings with individual companies Jan. 7-8.

“The primary purpose is to exchange information with industry regarding remediation of legacy wells and to assess the industry’s capabilities,” a BLM spokesperson said in announcing next week’s meetings in Anchorage. Two years ago, BLM’s office in Alaska issued a call for nominations and comments on tracts for oil and leases to be offered in NPR-A (see Daily GPI, May 21, 2012).

Identified several decades ago, the legacy wells are 136 abandoned exploratory and scientific wells drilled by the federal government between 1944 and 1982, only 16 of which originally were properly plugged and remediated to Alaska standards.

Currently, proposals or offers to begin to fix the situation are not being requested, BLM officials said, but the federal agency will be issuing solicitations to procure needed remediation services to advance the federal 2013 Legacy Well Strategic Plan.

At the industry day kicking off in the early afternoon on the 7th, BLM staff will present an overview of the well remediation plan and discuss the anticipated strategy for soliciting, awarding and administering contracts. The presentations will be followed by one-on-one meetings with prospective vendors for the remainder of the day and all day on the 8th.

More information about the events is available at www.FBO.gov and www.FedConnect.net by using the following search terms: “L15PS00024 — Industry Day for the NPR-A Legacy Well Remediation — NAICS 562910 Remediation Services;” or “L15PS00025 — Industry Day for the NPR-A Legacy Well Remediation — NAICS 541620 Environmental Consulting.”

More information about the NPR-A legacy wells program and the 2013 Legacy Well Strategic Plan can be found at the BLM Alaska website (www.blm.gov/ak).