We start with the obligation
Every reclamation bond is governed by a specific statute, regulation, and bond form. We read them. We discuss the plan with you. We don't propose terms until we understand the obligation.
Specialist Surety Underwriter · Est. 2003
Reclamation bonds, written by underwriters who actually understand them.
Surface mining, oil & gas plugging, coal, sand & gravel, quarry, surface management, and environmental remediation — bonded by an underwriter that treats long-tail obligations as a discipline, not a side line.
01 Why Surety One
A long‑tail surety obligation deserves a long‑tail underwriter.
Reclamation bonds generally cannot be canceled, performance is highly subjective, and losses — when they occur — are large. These bonds require an underwriter who has read the regulations, knows the state engineers, and can structure terms that survive twenty years of operational change. That is what we do.
Fair terms, fairly priced
Decades of specialty surety underwriting means we know what indemnity, collateral, and rate are actually warranted — and what is being asked for out of habit. We won't sacrifice a long relationship for a short premium.
Execution and continuity
Bond forms, riders, increases, and replacements are handled by the same underwriters who placed the original obligation. There is no warm hand‑off to a service desk.
From the Chief Underwriter
Petroleum, coal, quarries, sand and gravel pits — we can offer terms for all.
We have written reclamation surety for hard‑rock claims on BLM land in Nevada, coal mines in Appalachia, frac‑sand pits in Wisconsin, plugging obligations across the Permian, and remediation orders entered by state and federal courts. If a regulator can require it, we have probably underwritten it.
— C. POINDEXTER, CHIEF UNDERWRITER
02 Lines of Business
A bond for every reclamation obligation.
Each of the bond classes below is its own discipline — different statute, different bond form, different underwriting. Click through to the dedicated page for that line.
Bond type
Surface Mining Reclamation Bond
State‑required bonds for sand, gravel, quarry, hard‑rock, and other open‑pit operations. Penal sums set by a state bond key calculation.
View details Bond typeOil & Gas Plugging Bonds
State plugging and abandonment bonds, blanket bonds, and single‑well bonds for upstream operators in every producing basin.
View details Bond typeCoal Reclamation Bonds (SMCRA)
Performance bonds required under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act for permitted coal operations.
View details Bond typeBLM Surety Bonds
Federal lease, exploration, statewide, nationwide, and surface management bonds filed with the Bureau of Land Management.
View details Bond typeEnvironmental Remediation Bonds
Court‑ordered and agency‑ordered surety securing cleanup, monitoring, and long‑term financial assurance obligations.
View details IndexAll Bond Types
The complete index of reclamation, plugging, surface management, and remediation surety bonds we underwrite.
See all50 + PR
States Licensed
$25M
Single‑Bond Capacity
2003
Specialty Surety Since
A‑
Treasury-listed Rated Markets
03 Process
How a reclamation bond gets written.
Reclamation underwriting is more deliberate than commercial license-and-permit surety. Here is what to expect from a complete submission to bond issuance.
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i.
Submission
Operator's questionnaire, credit and background release, current business and personal financial statements, evidence of liability insurance, and the obligee's bond form.
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ii.
Underwriting Review
Reclamation plan, prior NOVs and abatements, regulatory history, operator capitalization, and the engineering basis for the bond penal sum.
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iii.
Indication & Terms
Written terms — rate, collateral if any, indemnity structure — issued for operator review and acceptance.
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iv.
Bond Issuance
Original executed bond on the obligee's prescribed form, with all required riders, delivered for filing.
04 Common Questions
Frequently asked.
What exactly is a reclamation bond?
A reclamation bond is a surety bond that guarantees an operator will return disturbed land to a prescribed post‑mining or post‑production condition. The bond is filed with a state regulator or a federal agency such as the Bureau of Land Management. If the operator fails to reclaim, the surety company is obligated to fund the reclamation up to the bond's penal sum.
How is the bond amount calculated?
Penal sums are calculated by the regulating agency using a published "bond key" or formula. The calculation typically itemizes earthwork and recontouring, revegetation and stabilization, and detoxification or waste disposal — plus contingency, escalation, and the cost the agency would incur to retain a third‑party contractor.
Can a reclamation bond be canceled?
Generally, no. Most reclamation bonds are continuous and run until released by the obligee after final reclamation is approved. A few state forms permit cancellation on long notice, but the underlying obligation continues until the regulator's release is on file.
Do you write bonds in every state?
Yes. We are licensed in all fifty states and Puerto Rico and routinely place reclamation, plugging, and surface management bonds with state and federal obligees in every U.S. jurisdiction.