At this time we are creating items in Jira in bulk, we created various script for that purpose. In that context, where it is not possible to interface with the "original estimate" field using the SOAP API, we really need to be able to update the field in bulk afterwards.

While I understand the current limitation on the time tracking as explained here
http://confluence.atlassian.com/display/JIRA/Modifying+Multiple+('Bulk')+Issues#ModifyingMultiple%28%27Bulk%27%29Issues-bulkedit

It seems that allowing a "reset time tracking" bulk operation would allow to make your batch import user happy while at the same time preserving the integrity of the time tracking info.