BLM sets legacy well remediation meeting

The Bureau of Land Management is hosting a meeting in Anchorage on Jan. 7 and 8 to exchange information with industry on the remediation of legacy oil wells in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The meeting will provide an opportunity for vendors interested in participating in the agency’s remediation program to obtain information about the program.

Following a furor over the condition of a number oil exploration wells drilled many years ago in the NPR-A and inadequately sealed, in 2013 BLM developed a strategic plan for dealing with the wells. And in October of that year President Obama signed legislation that provided funding for the well remediation.

BLM says that the first day of the Anchorage meeting, Jan. 7, designated “Industry Day,” will enable BLM personnel to present an overview of the agency’s strategic plan for the well remediation and to discuss with vendors the anticipated strategy for soliciting, awarding and administering contracts under the plan. The presentations will be followed by one-on-one meetings with vendors, which will continue into the second day of the meeting, BLM says. At some time subsequent to the meeting BLM will solicit for well remediation services, the agency says.

Information about the January meeting is available on the BLM website at www.blm.gov/ak.

- Alan Bailey