NAICS 213111

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal standard for classifying business establishments to support the collection, analysis, and publication of statistics about the U.S. economy. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget and adopted in 1997, NAICS is maintained jointly with Canada and Mexico; the current U.S. statistical vintage is 2022. ¹

NAICS 213111 covers firms primarily engaged in drilling oil and gas wells for others on a contract or fee basis. Official scope includes contractors specializing in spudding-in, drilling-in, redrilling, and directional drilling; exploratory services and geophysical surveying fall under different industries noted in Census cross-references. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 213111 overview
• G2X — NAICS 213112
• G2X — NAICS 541360

What this NAICS covers

• Contract drilling of oil and gas wells for operators. ²
• Spudding-in activities performed by drilling contractors. ²
• Drilling-in to reach target formations. ²
• Redrilling and deepening of existing wells. ²
• Directional drilling services performed under contract. ²
• Drilling performed on a fee or contract basis rather than by well owners/operators. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

The codes below are drawn from Census cross-references for 213111 and official NAICS titles; they delineate adjacent or commonly confused scopes. ²

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	213112	Support Activities for Oil and Gas Operations
NAICS	541360	Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services
NAICS	211120	Crude Petroleum Extraction
NAICS	211130	Natural Gas Extraction

SBA size standard (contracting)

For set-aside eligibility, SBA’s small business size standard for NAICS 213111 is 1,000 employees (effective March 17, 2023; see SBA Table of Size Standards). ³

Official cross-references and boundaries

• Exploration and most oil and gas field services (e.g., cementing, casing, well servicing) are classified in NAICS 213112, not 213111. ²
• Geophysical surveying and mapping for oil and gas are classified in NAICS 541360. ²
• Operating oil and gas field properties (operators) are classified in Subsector 211 (e.g., NAICS 211120, 211130), not in 213111. ²
• Whether onshore versus offshore drilling is distinguished within 213111: Not specified by official sources. ²

Frequently asked questions

• What activities qualify under NAICS 213111 for federal procurement?

  • Contracts that pay a contractor to drill oil and gas wells—covering spudding-in, drilling-in, redrilling, and directional drilling—fit NAICS 213111. Exploration and geophysical surveys are excluded to other NAICS codes. ²

• Is well servicing or hydraulic fracturing included in NAICS 213111?

  • No. Those field services (e.g., cementing, casing, acidizing, cleaning out) are classified in NAICS 213112, while geophysical surveys align to 541360. ²

• What is the small business size standard for NAICS 213111?

  • SBA sets the size standard at 1,000 employees for NAICS 213111; this governs eligibility for small business set-asides and related programs. Effective March 17, 2023, per SBA’s Table of Size Standards. ³

• How is NAICS 213111 different from NAICS 211120/211130?

  • NAICS 213111 classifies contract drillers, while Subsector 211 covers operators that run oil and gas field properties (e.g., 211120, 211130). Census cross-references place operators in Subsector 211 rather than 213111. ²

• Did NAICS 2022 change the scope of 213111?

  • The Census 2022 NAICS implementation materials describe the 2022 vintage and program adoption timeline but do not specify a scope change to 213111. Not specified by official sources. ⁴

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 213111 overview
• U.S. Census NAICS — Introduction and 2022 structure (NAICS program page). ¹
• U.S. Census — NAICS 213111: Drilling Oil and Gas Wells (definition and cross-references). ²
• SBA — Table of Small Business Size Standards (NAICS-linked size standards). ³

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS program page with introduction and 2022 vintage information: https://www.census.gov/naics/
2. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 213111 (2022) definition and cross-references: https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=213111&year=2022&details=213111
3. U.S. Small Business Administration — Table of Small Business Size Standards (effective March 17, 2023): https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/Table%20of%20Size%20Standards_Effective%20March%2017%2C%202023%20%282%29.pdf
4. U.S. Census Bureau — Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (adoption timeline and notes): https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html