A -- RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, METHANE HYDRATE

Notice Date

December 14, 2000

Contracting Office

DOE/National Energy Technology Laboratory, P.O. Box 10940, MS 921-107, Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0940

ZIP Code

15236-0940

Solicitation Number

DE-PS26-01NT40869

Point of Contact

Dona G. Sheehan, Contract Specialist, 412/386-5918 Raymond R. Jarr, Contracting Officer, 304/285-4088

E-Mail Address

click here to contact the contract specialist via (sheehan@netl.doe.gov)

Description

Notice is hereby given of the intent to issue Financial Assistance Solicitation No.DE-PS26-01NT40869 entitled "Methane Hydrates." This solicitation supports the Department of Energy's Strategic Plan to develop the knowledge base for assessing the vast deposits of methane hydrates and to promote the technology for their safe and effective recovery. The solicitation is being issued by the Natural Gas Hydrate Program which is part of NETL's Strategic Center for Natural Gas. This solicitation will focus on gas hydrates in the Gulf of Mexico and the North Slope of Alaska. These are the two principal regions of industry interest, primarily because they contain known occurrences of hydrates and the existing infrastructure for drilling and production of conventional hydrocarbons. The solicitation will request R&D proposals for work in the Gulf of Mexico that will result in information and technology that promotes: 1) safe drilling and production operations for conventional hydrocarbons in hydrate-bearing areas, 2) a better understanding of seafloor stability issues related to gas hydrates, 3) improved methodologies for hydrate resource characterization and 4) initiation of feasibility studies for producing methane from hydrates. Offerors should propose research that supports the needs of industry, as outlined in the "Gulf of Mexico Hydrates R&D Planning Workshop" report which is available on the web at www.netl.doe.gov/publications/proceedings/00/hydrates/00hydrate.html. R&D proposals for work in the Alaskan North Slope will be requested that will result in information and technology leading to: 1) improved imaging and characterization of the hydrate resource, 2) improved sampling and modeling techniques to develop hydrate reservoir information and 3) planning and feasibility analysis of production test well(s). R&D proposals to evaluate the potential of utilizing synthetic hydrates to transport stranded gas to market, both in the offshore Gulf of Mexico and the onshore North Slope of Alaska, will also be requested. Since DOE does not intend to issue a draft solicitation on the subject solicitation, prospective applicants are invited to e-mail any comments and/or questions associated with the "need" areas identified in this announcement. Please submit all comments/questions to Dona Sheehan via the Internet at sheehan@netl.doe.gov by COB on January 5, 2001. DATES: The solicitation will be available on the DOE/NETL's Internet address at http://www.netl.doe.gov/business on or about January 12, 2001.

Web Link

click here to download a copy of the solicitation on (http://www.netl.doe.gov/business )

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20001218/ASOL001.HTM (W-349 SN5088Z1)