B--Gas, water, and solid geochemical analysis

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY for market research purposes to identify interested vendors for the potential requirement detailed below. A formal solicitation and performance work statement are not available. Additionally, in accordance with FAR 19.5, Set- Asides for Small Business, the Government will review the information requested in this announcement to determine the type of set-aside (if any) for this requirement, should it come to fruition. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541380 Testing Laboratories and the size standard is $15.0 Million. Introduction: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Energy Resources Program (ERP) conducts investigations into the geologic framework and energy potential in various areas of the United States. After completing the national regional assessment of carbon dioxide (CO2) storage potential in geologic formations in 2013, the USGS ERP Utilization of Carbon and other Energy Gases¿Geologic Research and Assessments Project currently conducts focused, more detailed geological studies and assessments of selected basins with high potential for CO2 sequestration; conducts geologic studies of natural and anthropogenic CO2 storage sites; has developed a methodology and conducts assessments of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) associated with CO2 injection; and investigates unconventional CO2 storage reservoirs (such as coal and shale beds) and evaluates their sequestration potential. The USGS ERP Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project is charged with advancing the understanding of processes that affect the formation, accumulation, occurrence, and alteration of geologically-based energy resources; and conducting assessments of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the U.S. Gulf Coast. And the Geochemistry of Fuels Project conducts geologic, geochemical, microbiological, and structural factors research to understand control on the production, quality, and composition of coal, petroleum, and nuclear fuels and to predict the impacts of fuel use and the possible uses of generated by-products. The USGS Eastern Energy Resources Science Center (EERSC) has an ongoing requirement for analysis of the molecular gas composition and isotopic composition of gas, water, and associated solid samples. The exact number of samples varies from year to year and largely depends on sample accessibility during field campaigns in remote regions and will be determined by quantities, funding, period of performance, and any other variables in separate task orders. Generally, we anticipate collecting approximately 15-40 samples per year for analysis between these projects. Background: The EERSC of the USGS Energy and Minerals (EM) mission area requests a procurement action to contract for analysis of the molecular and isotopic composition of gas, water, and associated solids samples. Gas, water, and associated solid geochemical analyses help to characterize the natural gas and water and provide important clues to gas origin and migration pathways. Data from these analyses will also become part of the USGS permanent geochemical database, which can be used in future assessments and exploration projects. Scope: The EERSC of the USGS EM mission area requests a procurement action to do complete compositional analysis of the molecular gas and isotopic composition of gas, water, and associated solid samples. The Utilization of Carbon and other Energy Gases¿Geologic Research and Assessments Project will carry out geologic studies of natural CO2 reservoirs to identify analogue properties needed to characterize potential anthropogenic CO2 geologic storage sites and better assess the quantity of available CO2. The Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project will assess undiscovered petroleum resources of the onshore and State waters portion of the Gulf Coast basin and the basin composite Jurassic-Cretaceous-Tertiary total petroleum system. And the Geochemistry of Fuels Project will use isotopic data to evaluate changes in water and gas samples that have been stimulated to produce biogenic gas (methanogenesis). Isotopic and chromatographic analysis characterizes the natural gas, water, and associated solid samples and provides evidence of their origin and migration that are beneficial to characterizing geologic CO2 storage sites, assessing the quantity of available CO2, and assessing undiscovered petroleum resources. Technical Requirements: 1 - Chemical analyses shall be performed by gas chromatography for molecular concentrations of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, argon, hydrogen, methane, ethane, propane, iso-butane, n-butane, iso-pentane, n-pentane, and other higher alkanes (C6+), if present. Isotopic compositions of individual components, if present, are to be determined by mass spectrometry as follows: carbon isotopic composition of methane, ethane, propane, iso-butane, n-butane, iso-pentane, n-pentane, and carbon dioxide; hydrogen isotopic composition of methane, ethane, propane, iso-butane, n-butane, iso-pentane, and n-pentane; hydrogen of gas components; hydrogen of hydrogen gas; nitrogen isotopic composition of nitrogen in the gas sample; oxygen isotopic composition of carbon dioxide; and sulfur of hydrogen sulfide. The analytical laboratory shall also provide radiocarbon and tritium analyses of gases. Stable isotopic analyses of water samples include, if present, carbon of dissolved inorganic carbon; hydrogen and oxygen of water via Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS); and hydrogen and oxygen of water via H2/H2O and CO2/H2O equilibration and Continuous Flow Methods-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometers (CF-IRMS). Other isotopic analyses of water samples include nitrogen and oxygen of dissolved nitrate; sulfur and oxygen of sulfate; and sulfur of hydrogen sulfide. The analytical laboratory shall also provide tritium of water by beta spectrometry and radiocarbon analysis. Chemical analyses shall be performed on dissolved gas samples by gas chromatography for molecular concentrations of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, argon, hydrogen, methane, ethane, propane, iso-butane, n-butane, iso-pentane, n-pentane, and other higher alkanes (C6+), if present. Isotopic compositions of individual components in dissolved gas samples include analysis of carbon and hydrogen of gas components; carbon and hydrogen of methane; and carbon of ethane and propane. Isotopic analyses of associated solid samples include, if present, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and hydrogen. The analytical laboratory shall supply stainless steel sample cylinders, sample gas bags, Nalgene bottles, or other sample containers and associated accessories, and U.S Department of Transportation (DOT)-approved shipping containers. Some samples may be shipped to the analytical laboratory in government-owned bottles or stainless-steel cylinders, which shall be returned to the government as specified by the requestor. The analytical laboratory shall supply sampling equipment. The analytical laboratory shall provide sample archiving to allow the option of additional analyses at a later date. 2 - All chemical analysis should be based on standards accurate to within 2% and performed by experienced chemists on well-maintained and calibrated equipment. The analytical laboratory shall regularly calibrate equipment with standard materials traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Testing (NIST) or the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Isotopic ratios measured by mass spectrometry shall be based on standards that are accurate to within 0.1 per mil for carbon, 0.3 per mil for nitrogen, and 5 per mil for hydrogen. All business concerns who believe they can responsibly provide these types of services should submit the following information to the contracting officer. 1. Capability statement describing corporate expertise and technical qualifications in the work described above. 2. Past performance information describing other contracts for similar services your company has been awarded. Past performance information should be submitted for projects conducted within the last three years and include: project title, location, whether the work was as a prime or subcontractor, contract/subcontract dollar value, type of contract, percentage of self-performed work, and overall performance rating received. 3. Small business status of vendor (8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, etc.) 4. Point of contact information for vendor, Cage Code, and D&B Number. 5. Any other information that will prove the vendor is capable of performing the required effort. In order to be responsive to this Notice, a firm must provide the appropriate documentation for consideration by April 17, 2019. Responses that do not comply with these procedures will not be considered. NOTE: All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary - the Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the Government. Materials submitted to the Government for review will not be returned. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. This is not a request for quotations. The Government does not intend to award a contract based on responses received under this announcement. Inquiries will only be accepted by e-mail to Trisha Beals at contact@example.gov. Additional Info: Click here to see more information about this opportunity on FedConnect Contracting Office Address: USGS OAG DENVER ACQUISITION BRANCH PO BOX 25046 204 DENVER FEDERAL CENTER DENVER CO 80225-0046 US Point of Contact(s): Beals, Trisha