Minerals Management Service, Procurement & Property Management Div, 381 Elden Street, Mail Stop 2500, Herndon, VA 20170-4817

A -- WHITE PAPERS SOUGHT FOR PROPOSED RESEARCH PROJECTS TO BE CONDUCTED IN SUPPORT OF THE TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT AND RESEARCH (TA&R) PROGRAM SOL CBD&&&96080001. RFP 3831. Due 100296. POC Contract Specialist, Jane M Carlson, 703-787-1364. This announcement is issued to solicit White Papers - no more than 5 pages in length - for specific areas of interest to the Minerals Management Service (MMS) TA&R Program to include both Oil-Spill Response and Operational Safety/Pollution Prevention Research. The areas of interest are as follows: 1. Deepwater Operations to include operational safety issues and structural and pipeline integrity; 2. Aging Infrastructure to include integrity assessment and repair methodologies for damage to older platforms and pipelines; 3. Platform Abandonment and Removal Issues to include explosive and nonexplosive techniques, effect of explosions on cement plugs, as well as means to mitigate energy release into the water column; 4. Human and Organizational Factors to include assessment methodologies to mitigate concerns relative to offshore operations. 5. Operational Issues to include allowable leakage rates for safety and pollution prevention equipment, pipeline leak detection and inspection methods, assessment of Automated Remote Terminal Units (RTU's), safety issues relative to the use of coiled tubing, and the assessment and analysis of pipeline spanning problems; 6. Performance measures to include development of methodologies to effectively assess safety of operations for selected elements such as management of change, training, emergency response and control, and hazard analysis etc; and 7. Oil-spill Mitigation Measures to include both cleanup and containment technologies. Background: In the past, research sponsored by MMS through the TA&R Program was motivated by the need to acquire basic engineering requirements necessary to oversee the orderly development of offshore oil and gas operations. However, the emphasis on a Safety and Environmental Management Program (SEMP), performance-based regulations and a continuing need to assure the public that offshore operations are conducted in a safe manner without harm to the environment have provided new goals and directions for research initiatives. The MMS is interested in research efforts relative to the subject areas noted above. As a result of the white papers, selected proposals will be sought and evaluated for funding under the direction of the TA&R Program, and only efforts relevant to the scientific/technical issues listed below will be considered. The MMS anticipates a $1,000,000 total budget for these projects and a one-quarter to two-person year level of effort for each project selected. Offerors should bear this in mind when responding to this request for white papers. Multiyear funding of projects is acceptable. Note that cost estimates are not to be included. The white papers will be evaluated only on technical merits. If selected, a proposal will be requested and the costs evaluated at that time. Projects will be selected for funding from all or part of the following issues depending on the interest and scope of the white papers received. Deep-water facilities that are being developed are based on totally new concepts, from both an operational viewpoint as well as to the type of structure employed, with which very little, if any past experience exists to make technical or regulatory decisions. The TA&R Program seeks to support deep-water research initiatives to ensure that outstanding technical issues are adequately addressed for future operational decisions, to include concerns relative to subsea completions, pipeline inspection and monitoring, control of hydrates and paraffins, corrosion protection, and structural integrity issues. Also, as the offshore infrastructure continues to age with platforms and pipelines functioning years beyond their design life, the Program seeks to promote appropriate research to assess and maintain the integrity of these facilities. The TA&R Program also seeks to maintain its leadership role in promoting research relative to Human and Organizational Factors (HOF) and how their contributions to accidents and pollution events may be mitigated. A continuing effort will be put forth to support HOF and other research initiatives to improve and assist SEMP. The abandonment of offshore facilities has received considerable interest from the industry and public in general. As a followup to the recent International Lease Abandonment Workshop, MMS is interested in decommissioning issues to include explosives versus nonexplosives techniques to cut piles, caissons, and conductors; effects of explosives on cement plugs; advanced explosive techniques; energy mitigation measures; pipeline abandonment procedures; fish and turtle scare devices; and assessment of the effectiveness of cleanup operations. Typical operational issues for which white papers are solicited are on the performance and integrity of cementing operations, allowable leakage rates for safety values, safety issues relative to the use of coiled tubing and the use of RTU's. Industry has reportably referred to the MMS leakage rates as too restrictive and that the testing frequency of such devices leads to the sealing elements becoming weak and premature failure. Topics of specific interest may relate to studies focused on the reliability of safety devices to include assessment of allowable leakage rates and testing frequency. The technology and systems used to operate RTU's are constantly evolving and their use is rapidly expanding. White papers are sought on topics relative to the assessment of this technology and guidelines for future use. Unsupported spans may have major impact on the design of offshore pipelines. Currently, there are no consistent methodologies used within the industry to assess design assumptions. Topics of interest may relate to the assessment and development of consistent design methodology and design guidelines to determine pipelines' critical lengths and resulting internal stresses. Topics relative to the operational safety aspects of coiled tubing are also of interest, to include an assessment of existing accident data (root causes and effects) and the development of performable-based guidelines. Industry has historically accepted quantitative measurements for personnel safety such as lost workdays, compensation costs, etc as a measure of safety and the effectiveness of a safety program such as SEMP. However, other methodologies may be more acceptable as performance measures and for assessing the effectiveness of safety systems. Topics of interest will assess and test current or proposed methodologies as a means to measure performance relative to safety of offshore operations. In addition, MMS is interested in evaluating and developing innovative oil-spill containment and recovery technologies. In particular, MMS is looking for technologies that will facilitate the containment and recovery of spilled oil in the open ocean. The MMS seeks to test and evaluate certain of these technologies at the Oil and Hazardous Materials Simulated Environmental Test Tank (Ohmsett) facility in Leonardo, New Jersey, using standard test protocols. These test protocols include testing containment booms and skimmers for response to wave stress and wave conformation. The Program is also interested in seeking technologies that will enhance or facilitate the in situ burning of spilled oil in the marine environment. This includes fire-resistant booms, igniters, smoke-reduction agents, and tracking of burn residue. As part of or in conjunction with these efforts, MMS is soliciting interest in the testing of oil-spill containment/clean-up equipment or techniques, remote sensing devices, or to conduct training in oil-spill response at Ohmsett. The facility is available on a reimbursable basis to both private and public sectors as a research center where full-scale equipment can be tested under controlled conditions with oil, in varying wave conditions. Responses will be accepted through September 20, 1996. White papers shall reference the area of interest under which it is to be considered and an original and three copies submitted to the above address. White papers should define the proposed research effort to include the level of effort but not cost. The MMS will evaluate the responses, and those deemed to have merit will be furnished information to assist in the preparation of a complete proposal. This synopsis constitutes an RFP but does not constitute commitment by the Government to award nor does it restrict the Government as to the ultimate acquisition approach. The Government will solicit those firms meeting the screening criteria in this synopsis. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation or the information submitted. Responses shall be evaluated on the following criteria in order of their importance: (1) Innovative or creative approaches or solutions; (2) feasibility of the approach or solution; (3) the offeror's understanding of the technical issues being presented for consideration; (4) the offeror's ability to implement the proposed approach as demonstrated by adequate detailed analysis and supported by specific accomplishments in the technical field to be studied; (5) the availability of qualified personnel with the requisite expertise to accomplish the study as proposed; (6) the participation of industry or other groups in the research effort; and (7) the offeror's record of past performance. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. Inquires should be sent to the above office. A separate white paper shall be submitted for each study the offeror wishes to propose. The white papers shall identify clearly the offeror's organization, point of contact and phone numbers as well as addresses. White papers should be forwarded to Ms Jane Carlson at the above mentioned address. (222)

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