R--Provide at-sea bunkering service in the Bering Sea to refuel the icebreaking ship

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 7, plans to award a sole source contract to the Far-Eastern Shipping Company, Inc., based in Vladivostok, Russia, for at-sea refueling services of an icebreaking vessel chartered for a Pacific Walrus survey in the Bering Sea. The refueling operation will take place in Russian waters between Magadan and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski during two potential timeframes: March 10-16, 2006, or April 9-15, 2006. The specific location for bunkering will be chosen collaboratively by the ship’s captain and the contractor within ice-free areas of the designated waters. This contract supports the USFWS’s spring 2006 walrus survey, with refueling required either at the beginning or conclusion of the ship charter. The procurement is a non-competitive, sole source award with no solicitation for proposals, and the award is scheduled for 15 days after the publication of the notice. The operation ensures the logistical support necessary for icebreaking vessel operations in challenging remote maritime environments critical to the agency’s wildlife research efforts.