Inactive

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. This Request for Information (RFI) no. 89303024NFE000013 is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an Invitation for Bid, Reques... THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. This Request for Information (RFI) no. 89303024NFE000013 is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an Invitation for Bid, Request for Quotation, Request for Proposal or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. Your response to this RFI will be treated as information only. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of a contractor’s submission of responses to this announcement or the Government’s use of such information. The Government reserves the right to reject, in whole or part, any contractor input resulting from this request. The information provided may be used by the Government in developing its acquisition strategy, performance work statement(s), statement(s) of objectives, requirement specifications, and/or related acquisition requirement documentation. Parties responding to this RFI are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The Government will not pay for the information submitted in response to this RFI. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, responses will not be returned, and no feedback or evaluation will be provided to companies regarding their submissions. Description The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) is issuing this RFI as a means of conducting market research to: 1) research possible contract vehicles; 2) determine if two or more small businesses can accomplish this work; and 3) generate interest within industry. The following Performance Work Statement (PWS) provided in this RFI is a draft only and is subject to change prior to the release of a formal solicitation. This notice does not constitute a solicitation. Information Requested Please address the following: Number of years auditor(s) has in direct experience certifying hydrocarbon reserves using the SPE PRMS guidelines Types and amount of experience in reservoir modeling (static and dynamic simulation) for a wide range of depositional environments, fluids, and development scenarios including but not limited to conventional/unconventional reservoirs, EOR, CCS, etc. Example of at least three relevant CCS projects within the last three years and scopes of work for each project Number of years and type of experience with SPE SRMS guidelines Examples of professional membership for employees with regard to geology, geophysics, and/or petroleum engineering Please submit a written response as instructed below. Submission Instructions Respondents should include the following information within their response to this RFI: Business name, division, address, website, unique entity ID# (UEI) Business/Technical point-of-contact name, title, telephone, and email address Capability statement and brief description of service offerings Small business qualification status Contract holder/certifications with existing Government-wide acquisition contracts (GWACs), for example, GSA Schedules or OASIS. Deadline for Responses The deadline for response to this notice is May 24, 2024, by 2:00 PM EST. Submit written responses to the Contracting Officer, Kelley Vandecoevering, via email at: Kelley.Vandecoevering@hq.doe.gov . Anticipated Period of Performance The period of performance for this contract is expected to include a one-year base period, estimated to begin summer of 2024, plus up to four, one-year additional option periods. Place of Performance The place of performance will be within the United States and her outlying territories. Anticipated NAICS Code: 541620 – Environmental Consulting Services Performance Work Statement (PWS) for the CarbonSAFE Independent Storage Resources Evaluations 1.0 General 1.1 Introduction The mission of the Department of Energy (DOE) is to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. The mission of the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) is to minimize the environmental impacts of fossil fuels while working towards net-zero emissions. FECM’s programs use research, development, demonstration, and deployment approaches to advance technologies to reduce carbon emissions and other environmental impacts of fossil fuel production and use, particularly the hardest-to-decarbonize applications in the electricity and industrial sectors. Priority areas of technology work include point-source carbon capture, hydrogen with carbon management, methane emissions reduction, critical mineral production, and carbon dioxide removal to address the accumulated CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. FECM recognizes that global decarbonization is essential to meeting climate goals and works to engage with international colleagues to leverage expertise in these areas. FECM is also committed to improving the conditions of communities impacted by the legacy of fossil fuel use and to supporting a healthy economic transition that accelerates the growth of good-paying jobs. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure, designed to modernize and upgrade American infrastructure to enhance United States competitiveness, drive the creation of good-paying union jobs, tackle the climate crisis, and ensure stronger access to economic, and environmental and other benefits for disadvantaged communities (DACs.) The BIL will invest a total of $2.5 billion for the five (5) year period encompassing fiscal years (FYs) 2022 through 2026 for Carbon Storage Validation and Testing (Section 40305) via the development of new or expanded commercial large-scale carbon storage projects and associated carbon dioxide transport infrastructure. This includes funding for the feasibility, site characterization, permitting, and construction stages of project development. These projects will build on the existing Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) Initiative to meet the requirements for Section 40305. Successful implementation of the CarbonSAFE Initiative will encourage the rapid growth of a vibrant, geographically widespread industry for secure geologic carbon storage by reducing risks and costs for future projects and bringing more storage resources into commercial classifications, thereby supporting business and financial decisions of potential developers. New and expanded carbon storage projects will be needed to provide future access to billions of metric tons of commercially available secure geologic storage capacity and enable injection of up to 100 million metric tons per year by 2030. It is anticipated that these projects will be located in different regions of the country with promising geologic characteristics to store at least 50 million metric tons of CO2 per site, providing new jobs in communities throughout the United States. Projects will be required to follow a consistent approach to estimate storage quantities, moving carbon storage capacity from prospective through contingent storage resources to capacity, as classified under the CO2 Storage Resources Management System (SRMS, see https://www.spe.org/industry/docs/SRMS.pdf). As the carbon management industry emerges, consistency in terminology will enable regulators, financial institutions, geologists, engineers, and communities to develop a common understanding. Requiring the projects to follow the SRMS structure will allow effective communication on a project’s development stage and level of characterization completed for the resource or capacity estimation. 1.2 Objective The CarbonSAFE Initiative addresses the overarching goal of the DOE’s Carbon Transport and Storage (CTS) Program to enable and support the availability of CCUS and CDR to reach climate goals and help address the Nation’s decarbonization goals. Additionally, the CarbonSAFE Initiative also addresses the overarching Program goal of assessing secure geologic carbon storage resources along the classification pathway from prospective and contingent storage resources to capacity, as classified under the SRMS. In support of this goal, projects will be required to report the movement through Prospective, Contingent, and Capacity based on the SRMS guidelines discussed in the SPE CO2 Storage SRMS. The SRMS has been recognized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) such that the UNECE Injection Projects Working Group is developing a bridging document that maps UNECE to SRMS. This type of bridging document was also developed for the Petroleum Resources Management System (PRMS). CarbonSAFE projects will be required to classify, categorize, and quantify their storage resources in accordance with the SRMS guidelines. They will also be required to have an independent third-party audit said resources. The objective of this PWS is to establish a working contract with recognized third-party evaluation experts. 1.3 Scope of Work Total Storage Resources (TSR) are the estimated storable quantities contained in the subsurface. TSR includes both Undiscovered Resources (Prospective) and Discovered Resources (Contingent, Capacity, and Stored). CarbonSAFE projects will be required to report all classes and categories of TSR as defined by the SPE SRMS guidelines and the third-party evaluation will include all TSR reported. The scope of work for these contracts will be an audit of TSR on a project basis. The Evaluator will review all pertinent inputs used by the project to determine the TSR, as well as the methodologies and results. Aspects to be reviewed include: Geophysics: seismic data and geologic reasonableness of interpretation. Petrophysics: raw curves, petrophysical models employed, resultant calculated curves used in interpretation. Static Model: reasonableness of geologic structure and property distribution. Dynamic Model: AOR determination, reasonableness of input parameters and simulation results. Based on the data provided and the proposed development plan, the Evaluator will quantify and classify TSR for all relevant classes and categories. 1.4 Background This PWS seeks to select experienced contractors to carry out work not previously sought through the procurement process for CarbonSAFE. As we add to the CarbonSAFE project pipeline, we expect to utilize this type of contractor for each project awarded. 1.5 Type of Contract Contemplated To Be Determined 1.6 Period of Performance The period of performance of this contract is five years and will consist of multiple short-term evaluations. Each evaluation is expected to last approximately six weeks from the date of the kickoff meeting until the final report is delivered. 1.7 Place of Performance All work under this contract will be performed off-site. Data will be provided by the project to the capacity evaluator ahead of the project kick-off meeting. The period of performance begins once the full suite of data has been received by the evaluator. Applicable Documents All reported TSR volumes shall be reported within the framework of the SRMS guidelines. https://www.spe.org/industry/docs/SRMS.pdf). 2.0 Specific Requirements/Tasks 2.1 Geophysics Review seismic data & processing. Provide statements describing the quality, appropriateness, and limitations of available data. Review interpretations of relevant horizons and faults. Provide statements describing the quality, appropriateness, and limitations of these interpretations. 2.2 Petrophysics Review raw petrophysical curves. Provide statements describing the quality, appropriateness, and limitations of available data. Review petrophysical models employed and resultant calculated curves. Provide statements describing the reasonableness and reproducibility of these interpretations, including whether they are appropriate to be used in static modeling. 2.3 Static Model Review structure model for geological reasonableness. Provide figures and statements describing the overall geological structure and the fault patterns for all relevant intervals. Review the property model. Provide figures and statements comparing key petrophysical values and ranges observed in the property model when compared to the well logs. Examine the parameters and settings used to calculate in-place volumetrics and provide statements on the methodologies employed. Provide statements addressing the reproducibility of results and discuss alternate or preferred methodologies, where applicable. 2.4 Dynamic Model Review simulation model and provide figures and statements describing the overall reasonableness for the input parameters employed. Review and provide statements on the methodologies used to determine AoR for the project. Review and provide statements on the simulation results. 2.5 Volumetrics Provide volumetric tables for all relevant categories/sub-categories of TSR as defined by the SPE SRMS. 3.0 Contractor Quality Assurance. The contractor shall provide a detailed account of their internal Quality Assurance (QA) practices and a list of QA standards certifications they may possess. 4.0 Delivery or Deliverables The final deliverables for each project will be a report addressing each item described in Section 2. The report shall also include a statement of whether the volumes presented by the project team passes an audit within 10%. If the volumes presented do not pass, the report shall also include statements describing why. The results of the report shall also be presented in presentation format during a project close-out meeting. 5.0 Meetings For all meetings, the contractor shall be responsible for providing meeting materials, and administrative and facilitation support. Meetings will be conducted exclusively via teleconferencing. No funds will be provided for travel under this contract. 5.1 Post-award Kickoff Meeting Within 10 business days of contract award, the Government will conduct a virtual post-award kickoff meeting. 5.2 Intermittent Project Status Reviews At the sole discretion of the Government, intermittent project status reviews may be conducted on an informal basis (by telephone or teleconference) approved by the Contracting Officer or Program Manager. 5.3 Bi-weekly Project Status Reviews Bi-weekly status meetings to be conducted following the kick-off meeting. The Contractor is responsible for reporting the previous period’s activities (including any risks, issues, or concerns, and actual or recommended actions for their mitigation), and projected activities for the following month. 5.4 Program Management Review The Government will conduct periodic virtual program management reviews to review the progress of the program, identify any risks, issues, or concerns, and provide feedback on the Contractor’s progress and performance. The Contractor shall provide written data and verbal presentations as to the financial status of the audit (projected vs. incurred costs), any identified any risks, issues, or concerns (and their mitigation or its plans for their mitigation.] 6.0 Required Travel and Other Direct Costs (ODCs) The principal place of performance is remote. Accordingly, reimbursable travel and per diem for the contractor’s employees performing work on a regular basis at this place of performance is not authorized. Any changes to this must be approved in advance by the contracting officer.