SOLICITATION NOTICE
B -- PERSISTENCE OF CRUDE OIL SPILLS ON OPEN WATER
- Notice Date
- 2/11/2002
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE, 381 ELDEN ST, MS2510, HERNDON, VA 20170
- ZIP Code
- 20170
- Solicitation Number
- 1435-01-02-RP-85091Draft CBD Notice
- Response Due
- 3/4/2002
- Archive Date
- 4/3/2002
- Point of Contact
- TERRY CARROLL, PROCUREMENT TECHNICIAN, FAX 703-787-1387
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE NOTICE CAREFULLY AS IT CONSTITUES THE ONLY NOTICE THAT WILL BE ISSUED. The Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service (MMS), intends to competitively award a contract to conduct a study entitled "Persistence of Crude Oil Spills on Open Water". This study will compile, collate, and statistically analyze historical data on the persistence of crude oil slicks on open water. The effect of spill size on slick persistence will be quantified as will the effects of environmental conditions, crude oil properties, and response effort. This study will provide empirically defined endpoints for spill trajectory duration in trajectory modeling of various size ranges of crude oil spills. ESTIMATED LEVEL OF EFFORT: The government estimates a period of performance for this contract of twelve (12) months and a cost range of between $100,000 to $120,000. BACKGROUND: In environmental assessments, the MMS typically uses standard time periods such as 1, 3, 10, and 30 days to analyze the effects of open water crude oil slicks. Hypothetical spill trajectory contacts through these time periods are collated and reported in the MMS oil spill trajectory model analysis, but the model analysis does not take weathering or other dissipation of the hypothetical slicks into account. The oil weathering is estimated separately from the trajectory model, using an oil weathering model. State-of-the-art oil weathering models such as those currently used by MMS (and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]) only address initial weathering, primarily evaporation and vertical (droplet) dispersion. Only for the lightest crude oils or in the roughest weather will evaporation and vertical dispersion alone dissipate a slick on open water. For heavier oils or moderate seas, the models unrealistically project that even a one-cup spill would create a permanent slick (which may continue to expand). None of the models used track slick integrity. Nor do databases for existing weathering models and other databases maintained by MMS and others compile the necessary spill information as to when slicks visibly dissipate as function of time and spill size. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: This study will 1) collect and collate historical data on the persistence of crude oil slicks in open water for accidental and experimental spills, 2) apply statistical methods to analyze persistence of crude slicks as a function of initial slick volume, environmental conditions, oil properties, and response effort, and 3) develop correlations, equations, or other empirical predictors of slick duration for size categories used by MMS. SCOPE OF WORK: TASK 1. HOLD POST-AWARD CONFERENCE WITH MMS --The Contractor shall hold a post-award conference in Anchorage with Alaska OCS Region and other MMS staff within three weeks of contract award, to insure a clear understanding by all of study tasks, concerns, availability of relevant data and reports, and timelines. The Contractor shall provide a draft agenda to participants prior to the meeting and provide a strawman list of spill persistence parameters to collate (spill [and/or climatic] environmental factors such as wave height, wave energy period, wind speed, air/water temperature, and distance from shore; oil properties; generic spill response/detection information such as spill name, spill size, crude oil type, whether there was a response, length of response, response methods, effectiveness of response, amount of crude recovered. reason for ending response; etc.) for discussion during the meeting. The Contractor shall provide a Meeting Summary to participants within one week of meeting, and list any changes needed to plan work as a result of the meeting. TASK 2. CONDUCT EXTENSIVE LITERATURE AND/OR DATABASE SURVEY AND COLLATE SPILL PERSISTENCE PARAMETERS -- Offerors shall make their own recommendations as to data sources in their proposal and provide rationales for these choices. Likely data sources include MMS, NOAA, United States Coast Guard, and Environment Canada reports, Marine Pollution Bulletin, and the Oil Spill Intelligence Report. The MMS anticipates that local weather and oceanographic data collected during the spill events will provide the best source of weather data for use in analyses of environmental factors. However, Offerors shall discuss and make their own recommendations as to best type(s) of weather data to use for analyses of environmental factors. Discuss weaknesses and strengths of using weather history recorded during individual spills, average weather during individual spills, seasonal climatic values or indexes, or Offeror's other preferred alternative. Extracted data parameters on environmental conditions, properties of the spilled crude, and spill response/detection information shall be referenced as to sources and compiled in Excel or Access formats or exported to one of those two formats. The MMS expects that the portion of this data set that could be analyzed in the following Task 3 may be small. The Contractor shall contact original spill participants (Coast Guard On-Scene Commander, spiller, responders, NOAA scientific coordinators, etc) to obtain needed but missing data parameters which could increase the size of the analyzable portion of this data set to an adequate statistical size for Task 3. TASK 3. ANALYZE PERSISTENCES OF CRUDE OIL SLICKS RELATIVE TO SIZE AND OTHER FACTORS -- The Contractor shall analyze the collated data set to identify size ranges that are relevant to the MMS NEPA analyses and for evaluating Oil Discharge Prevention Contingency Plans. The first goal and primary goal is to project generalized time end points for trajectory modeling. That is, how long will the slick last? Spill size-range categories such as 500 to 9,999 and 1,000 to 9,999; 10,000 to 50,000; 50,000 to 150,000; and >150,000 bbl would be most useful to MMS if data are sufficient. The second goal is to statistically analyze the data set to determine quantitative relationships or correlations that can be made among the persistence of crude oil spills on the water surface and both the associated environmental factors and the physical/chemical properties of the oil. The third goal is to statistically analyze the data set to determine quantitative relationships or correlations that can be made among the persistence of crude oil spills on the water surface, the associated environmental factors, the physical/chemical properties of the oil, and response effort parameters. The Contractor shall be capable of conducting analyses on small data sets. The Contractor shall include appropriate statistical error analyses and parameter range estimates. The MMS needs to know whether fit coefficients are significant. TASK 4. DEVELOP CORRELATIONS, EQUATIONS, OR OTHER EMPIRICAL PREDICTORS OF SLICK DISSIPATION FOR SIZE CATEGORIES USED BY MMS -- The Contractor shall identify average or mean persistence time periods for each range of spill size categories based on the analysis of the data set. Develop correlations, equations, or other empirical predictors of slick duration for size categories used by MMS based on average or typical Alaska OCS conditions and spill size. Develop a second predictor or set of predictors of slick duration on specific slick size, spilled oil properties, and environmental conditions. The Contractor shall provide more than just a fitted equation. The Contractor shall provide appropriate statistical error analyses and parameter range estimates. The Contractor shall provide significance estimates for each coefficient and separate sensitivity analyses of the prediction to the range of parameter inputs covering the same range as the observed data. The Contractor shall list and discuss the critical assumptions under which the predictor equations should give appropriate estimates. These assumptions will likely include both statistical and data-source issues. TASK 5. PROGRAM AND DATA MANAGEMENT -- The Contractor shall operate under the program-management plan and data-management plan described in the Contractor's proposal. TASK 6. REPORTING -- Interim Progress Reports: The Contractor shall submit interim progress (letter) reports to the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR). The progress reports shall include: (1) a brief summary of all preceding work and overall progress made against the schedule, (2) a brief summary of any resolutions agreed to between Contractor and MMS regarding these problems, (3) a brief summary of significant technical, schedule, or cost problems encountered, including an assessment of their probable effects on meeting contract provisions, and (4) a list of all significant meetings held, Task 5 consultations, or other contacts made in connection with the contract, including a brief summary of the participants and subject, date, location, and outcome of each such contact or meeting. Draft Final Report and Draft Technical Summary: The contractor shall complete and submit draft Final Report and Technical Summary to MMS for scientific and editorial review in accordance with the schedule in Section F of the RFP. The report should describe results of Tasks 2 through 4. The Technical Summary should cover all technical Tasks. A copy of the standard MMS formatting requirements for technical summaries and cover/title page specifications for the report will be provided by MMS after contract award. The MMS shall review the draft report and summary and shall provide review comments to the Contractor within 30 to 45 days after receiving the draft documents. Revised, Final Report and Technical Summary: The Contractor shall revise the Final Report and Technical Summary and complete as per review comments and post-draft report teleconference, in accordance with the schedule in Section F of the RFP. Provide the rationale in a letter accompanying the final report for any review comments not accommodated. Provide 100 copies of the report, a high-quality master copy, and a PC-compatible digital copy to MMS. Text and tables of the digital copy of the report should in Microsoft (MS) Word 6. A digital copy of the collated spill data file should be provided in Excel or Access. Provide bibliographic citations for the final report and data file sources to MMS also in ProCite 4 or newer (or as a file directly importable into ProCite). Provide a final Technical Summary, revised from the draft as per review comments and a PC-compatible digital copy in MS Word 6 to MMS. HOW TO RESPOND: In order to compete for this contract, interested parties MUST demonstrate that they are qualified to perform the work by providing, by 4:00 P.M. EST, March 4, 2002, a Capabilities Statement detailing: (1) your key personnel (those who would have primary responsibility for performing and/or managing the study) with their qualifications and specific experience; (2) your organizational experience and facilities; and (3) specific references (including contract number & project description, period of performance, dollar amount, client identification with the point of contact & telephone number & E-mail address a) for previous work of this nature that your key personnel or organization has performed within the last four years (references will be checked). If you believe the Government will find derogatory information as a result of checking your past performance record, please provide an explanation and any remedial action taken by your company to address the problem. Following review of all Capabilities Statements, we will establish a list of those deemed most qualified to perform the work. Offerors will then be contacted and told their evaluation. We will provide additional proposal instructions at that time. Proposals will essentially consist of a written cost/business proposal. Further details of proposal requirements will be provided at a later date. Your Capabilities Statement will be evaluated based on your key personnel skills, abilities and experience; your organization's experience and past performance (including number, size, and complexity of similar projects, adherence to schedules and budgets, effectiveness of program management, willingness to cooperate when difficulties arise, general compliance with the terms of the contracts, and acceptability of delivered products.) Interested parties shall submit their Capabilities Statements in original and one (1) copy to Terry W. Carroll, Procurement Technician, Minerals Management Service, 381 Elden Street, MS-2500, Herndon, VA 20170-4817. Three (3) additional copies shall be sent to Richard Prentki, Ph.D., Minerals Management Service, Alaska OCS Region, 949 E. 36th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99508. Questions should be faxed as soon as possible to: Fax (703) 787-1087. Please include your full name, the RFP number (1435-01-02-RP-85091) and title, your organization, complete address, and phone and fax numbers. TELEPHONIC QUESTIONS OR REQUESTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. At this time, due to a Federal court order, the DOI/MMS cannot accept E-mail submission of questions.
- Record
- SN00025300-W 20020213/020211213655 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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