B -- WHITE PAPERS SOUGHT IN SUPPORT OF THE TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT & RESEARCH (TA&R) PROGRAM IN THE AREA OF OIL SPILL RESEARCH (OSR)

Notice Date

August 30, 2001

Contracting Office

Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Procurement Operations Branch, MS2500, 381 Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817

ZIP Code

20170-4817

Solicitation Number

1435-01-01-RP-31190

Response Due

October 15, 2001

Point of Contact

MICHAEL W. HARGROVE, CONTRACTING OFFICER and TERRY W. CARROLL, PROCUREMENT TECHNICIAN

E-Mail Address

Contracting Officer and Procurement Technician e-mail (michael.hargrove@mms.gov and terry.carroll2@mms.gov)

Description

DESCRIPTION: This announcement solicits White Papers, of not more than five (5) pages in length, for specific areas of interest to the Minerals Mangement Service (MMS) Technology Assessment and Research (TA&R) Program, Oil Spill Response Research (OSRR). The MMS web site has descriptions of OSRR activities, the scope of MMS interests, and past projects. The web site address is http://www.mms.gov/tarp/. We encourage interested parties to view the information presented on the site when considering submitting white papers. BACKGROUND: Oil Spill Response Research (OSRR) sponsored by the Minerals Management Service (MMS) through the Technology Research and Assessment Program is directly integrated into MMS's offshore operations and is used in making regulatory decisions pertaining to permit and plan approvals, safety and pollution inspections, enforcement actions, and training requirements. MMS proposes to expand its existing OSRR program consistent with our statutory responsibility and the provisions of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. As oil and gas industry activities increase in the deep water of Gulf of Mexico and the and ice-infested Beaufort Sea of Alaska, research must be broadened to address unknown factors concerning the remote sensing of spilled oil on the water and below ice, mechanical equipment performance and reliability, alternative countermeasures including in situ burning, chemical dispersants and viscous oil pumping. The principal objective of this request for White Papers is to address innovative or technological advancements among several general topics of current interest to MMS. As a result of the White Papers submitted in accordance with the terms of this announcement, selected proposals shall be requested. Projects selected for eventual funding by MMS shall receive funding from FY 2002 funds. The MMS anticipates a total of $500,000 to $750,000 may be available for the initiation of new research proposals addressing OSRR topics in FY 2002 with projects being identified through this announcement and additional avenues. Typical projects envisioned to address the topics set forth below may require one quarter to one man-year effort and prospective offorers shall bear this in mind when responding to this request. OBJECTIVES: The proposed objectives for the FY 2002 OSRR activities include, but are not limited to, research related to the following: 1. Innovative Oil Spill Containment and Recovery Technologies for the Open Ocean MMS is seeking information and proposals on new technologies that will facilitate the cleanup of spilled oil (both light and high density) in the open ocean. A subject of particular interest is response techniques and equipment for oil spills resulting from subsea releases and blowouts. MMS seeks proposals to test and evaluate these full-scale prototypes and non-commercially available technologies at Ohmsett, the National Oil Spill Response Test Facility, located in Leonardo, New Jersey. American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) testing standards will be used as applicable in their evaluations. 2. Innovative Oil Spill Containment and Recovery Technologies in Broken Ice MMS is seeking information and proposals on new technologies that will facilitate the cleanup of spilled oil in broken ice. MMS seeks proposals to test and evaluate these full-scale prototype, non-commercially available technologies, and/or adaptations of existing technologies to contain and /or recover oil in a range of broken ice conditions. The focus should be on the types of broken ice typically found in the nearshore areas of the Alaskan Beaufort Sea where oil exploration activities are taking place or are planned. Tests would be conducted at Ohmsett, the National Oil Spill Response Test Facility, located in Leonardo, New Jersey. American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) testing standards will be used as applicable in their evaluations. 3. Fire Resistant Boom Testing and Evaluation at Ohmsett MMS seeks to obtain donated sections of unproven full-scale fire resistant booms and subject them to the Ohmsett enhanced propane fire test and protocol (including pre-burn stress testing and post-burn low-viscosity oil containment testing) at Ohmsett, the National Oil Spill Response Test Facility, located in Leonardo, New Jersey. MMS is seeking information on the performance characteristics and survivability of commercial and non-commercially available fire resistant booms. Information will be used to make justifiable, scientific-based decisions on the suitability of in situ burn packages for the intended operating environment. American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) testing standards and guidelines will be used as applicable in their evaluations. Manufacturers donating boom sections can participate in the Ohmsett tests and will receive copies of all data acquired. Manufacturers could bring clients to the Ohmsett tests to observe boom performance during testing. 4. Effect of Oil Spill Containment Boom Characteristics on Oil Loss Rates Recent research conducted at Ohmsett combined with offshore sea trials have led to an increased understanding of the loads and forces exerted on booms configured in a containment and diversionary mode. MMS is seeking proposals to determine the effects of buoyancy to weight (B/W) ratio and wave steepness on First Loss and Gross Loss speeds by conducting a series of tests at Ohmsett, the National Oil Spill Response Test Facility, located in Leonardo, New Jersey. American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) testing standards will be used as applicable in their evaluations. 5. Testing and Evaluation of Equipment for the Recovery and Pumping of High Density and Viscous Oils MMS is seeking information and proposals on new technologies that will facilitate the recovery and pumping of heavy and viscous oils. MMS seeks proposals to test and evaluate these full-scale prototype, non-commercially available technologies, and/or adaptations of existing technologies to recover and pump heavy and viscous oils. Tests could be conducted at Ohmsett, the National Oil Spill Response Test Facility, located in Leonardo, New Jersey. 6. Detection and Tracking of Oil under Ice MMS is seeking information and proposals on new and innovative equipment and technologies for the remote sensing and surveillance of oil in and under ice in the Arctic. This equipment shall be able to locate and accurately map the location of the oil. MMS seeks proposals to test and evaluate these technologies through a series of field tests conducted in the Arctic environment. 7. Detection and Tracking of Submerged Oil in Deepwater on the Outer Continental Shelf MMS is seeking information and proposals on new and innovative equipment and technologies for the remote sensing and surveillance of spilled oil from subsea releases in deepwater. This equipment shall detect and track location of subsea spills from deepwater systems including flowline/risers, umbilicals, and seafloor pipelines. The equipment shall be able to locate and accurately map the submerged oil. MMS seeks proposals to test and evaluate these technologies through a series of field tests conducted in deepwater. 8. Airborne Thickness Measurement of Oil Slicks on the Open Ocean MMS is seeking a reliable, airborne, oil slick thickness sensor. This equipment shall be able to locate and accurately map the actual thickness of the oil slick and be able to send/fax a geo-referenced map of the oil slicks to responders, while airborne. 9. Oil Spill Chemical Dispersant Research MMS is seeking proposals that will facilitate the use of dispersants on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Environmental Protection Agency has recently approved new chemical dispersants for use on the OCS. Dispersant effectiveness testing in the laboratory however, is not always representative of dispersant effectiveness in the field. It is difficult to determine the true effectiveness of the new dispersants that have not been tested on actual spills. MMS is seeking proposals to define and test the methodologies used to correlate dispersant effectiveness tests in the laboratory to the effectiveness rates in real spills. Of particular interest are methods to realistically assess dispersant effectiveness in the field as a function of dispersant type, sea state, oil type and weathering state, dispersant-to-oil ratio, and environmental conditions. 10. Oil Spill Chemical Dispersant Research -- MMS is seeking proposals to test and evaluate the effectiveness of dispersants in cold water and in broken ice. Testing could be conducted at Ohmsett, the National Oil Spill Response Test Facility, located in Leonardo, New Jersey. 11. Oil Spill Chemical Dispersant Research MMS funded a dispersant project entitled "Technology Assessment of the Dispersants on Spills from MMS Regulated Facilities". The project looked at the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) area and used the chemical characteristics of an oil to determine the window of opportunity for dispersant application. MMS is seeking proposals to determine if the chemical properties used as an indicator of oil's dispersibility in the GOM project are the best indicators for this determination. 12. Oil Spill Chemical Dispersant Research Two dispersant feasibility projects were recently conducted at Ohmsett, the National Oil Spill Response Test Facility, and their conclusions indicate that realistic dispersant effectiveness testing is viable. The research also demonstrated that the Ohmsett tank water took 2-3 weeks to return to acceptable clarity, allowing the use of the underwater video cameras. MMS is seeking information and proposals to develop and test technologies or equipment and methodologies to expediently remove dissolved dispersant from the tank water. The dispersant removal process should shorten the time presently required to remove dispersed oil droplets from the water. 13. Oil Spill Alarms and Monitors MMS is seeking proposals to conduct a state-of-the art assessment of alarms and monitors for the detection of spilled hydrocarbons on the water's surface. 14. Spill discharge volumes from pipelines with high water cut. MMS is seeking proposals, which will analyze the effect that a high water cut has on the discharge volume from a pipeline leak. Some OCS pipelines have water cuts as high as 80% and it is unclear how a high water cut will alter the expected discharge volume a pipeline leak when using standard multiphase flow formulas and considering that emulsions may form quickly. MMS will use the results of this research to determine if multiphase fluid flow from high water cut pipelines will significantly impact a calculated spill volume. 15. MMS is seeking proposals to conduct a state-of-the-art mesoscale investigation of the fate and behavior of crude oil under ice, similar to first year landfast ice in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. Factors which should be addressed are transport by currents, spreading, time to encapsulation, methods to control the spread of oil under ice, fate and behavior of marine pipeline spills, fate and behavior of crude oils with high pour point temperatures (>0oC), and cleanup options. Information will be used in Environmental Impact Assessments and to improve assumptions on oil behavior in oil discharge prevention and contingency plans for Alaska. 16. MMS is seeking proposals to conduct an assessment of the compositional changes of reservoir oil during industry development in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, analyzing for temporal and spatial changes. 17. MMS is seeking proposals to conduct a stratigraphic characterization of the geologic distribution of crude oils in the Gulf of Mexico for oil spill response. The research would group crude oils for potential for mechanical recovery, in situ burning and dispersant effectiveness to develop improved oil spill contingency plans and area wide requirements. 18. MMS is seeking proposals for the best approach and development of standards and methodologies to be used to analyze the dispersibility and formation of stable emulsions of spilled oil in the marine environment. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The MMS is interested in research initiatives relative to oil spill response, safety, and pollution practices related to offshore operations. As a result of the White Papers, selected proposals will be sought and evaluated for funding. Efforts to be considered should be to the above stated issues and/or other related issues to the offshore operations. Multi-year funding of proposed projects is acceptable. HOW TO RESPOND: White Papers, not more than five (5) pages in length, an ORGINAL PLUS five (5) copies, shall be submitted to the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE, 381 ELDEN STREET, HERNDON, VIRGINIA 20170-4817, not later than October 15, 2001, 04:00 PM, EDT. Respondents shall provide one (1) electronic copy to be submitted concurrently in pdf format on a CD's or standard 3 inch diskettes. WHITE PAPERS SENT THROUGH E-MAIL AND FAXES WILL NOT ACCEPTED. White Papers shall define the proposed research scope and include the level of effort. NOTE THAT COST ESTIMATES ARE NOT TO BE INCLUDED. The White Papers will be evaluated only on technical merits. If your White Paper is selected for further evaluation, a Technical and Business/Cost Proposal shall be requested. Projects will be selected from all or part of the technical issues listed depending on the interest and scope of White Papers received. The MMS will evaluate the responses, and the respondents whose White Papers are deemed to have merit will be requested to provide a Technical and Business/Cost proposal. This announcement constitutes a Request For Proposal (RFP), but does not constitute commitment by the Government to consummate award. Respondents SHALL NOT be notified of the results of the evaluation of the information submitted. WHITE PAPERS WILL BE EVALUATED USING THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: (1) feasibility of the approach or solution; (2) the offerors understanding of the technical issues; (3) the offerors ability to implement the proposed approach; (4) innovative or creative approaches or solutions including the participation and/or funding by the oil and gas industry or other groups in the research industry interest exists, where appropriate; (5) past performance. SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS (SDB) REGULATORY CHANGE NOTICE: The Federal Acquisition Regulation authorizes the use of price and evaluation credits in industries where SDB prime contractors and subcontractors have been underutilized. We ask that you inform your SDB subcontractors that they should contact SBA's Office of Certification and Eligibility at 800-558-0884 to obtain an application, or to log on to SBA/s Website (www.sba.gov/sdb). If you are an SDB prime contractor who is not SBA-certified, we also ask that you apply for certification. Effective October 1, 1999, certified SDB prime contractors were eligible for a price credit when bidding on Federal prime contracts. Effective January 1, 1999, prime contractors who subcontract with SBA-certified or self-certified SDBs are eligible for evaluation credits. Please note that prime contractors may continue to rely on self-certification of their SDB subcontractors through June 30, 1999. For solicitations issued on or after July 1, 1999, prime contractors must use SDB-certified SDB subcontractors in order to be eligible for evaluation credits. QUESTIONS should be E-mail addressed to BOTH Michael.Hargrove@mms.gov AND Terry.Carroll@mms.gov or faxed on 703-787-1387. The RFP number MUST be in the subject line of the E-mail. All questions should include your full name and title, RFP number, your organization, complete address, and telephone and fax numbers. Telephone inquires WILL NOT be accepted. A separate White Paper shall be submitted for each study on which the offeror wishes to propose. The White Paper shall identify clearly the offeror's company/organization, point of contact, address, telephone and facsimile numbers. Responses will be accepted ONLY until October 15, 2001, 04:00 p.m., EDT. If offerors desire to hand deliver their White Papers, they are informed that this a secure office complex and they MUST NOT enter the building beyond the lobby. There is a courtesy telephone near the elevators to which you must call extension 1354 for a procurement official to receive your submittal.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010904/BSOL002.HTM (W-242 SN50W4U3)