Date

Presolicitation Notice
Modeling of Circulation in the North Aleutian Basin
Minerals Management Service (MMS) Procurement Operations Branch

Response Deadline: Wednesday, 18 July 2007

The full notice is available at:
http://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOI/MMS/PO/M07PS13368/SynopsisP.html

For further information, please contact:
Terrie L. Callahan
Phone: 703-787-1367
E-mail: terrie.callahan [at] mms.gov


The Department of Interior (DOI), Minerals Management Service (MMS) has
a requirement for "Modeling of Circulation in the North Aleutian Basin
(NAB)." This requirement is being issued as full and open in accordance
FAR Part 15 for competitive acquisitions. In order to compete under this
acquisition, interested parties must demonstrate they are capable of
performing the work by providing a capability statement. Based on the
review of the capability statements received in response to this
announcement, the MMS reserves the right to issue a Request for Proposal
(RFP) to the list of those deemed best qualified.

Background Information:
MMS proposes to lease within the NAB in its proposed five-year program
(2007-2012). The Oil Spill Risk Analysis (OSRA) is a cornerstone
foundation for evaluating impacts and alternatives in OCS oil and gas
leasing Environmental Impact Statement preparation and for evaluating
mitigation, such as oil spill contingency plans. MMS does not have a
functional circulation model for the NAB on which to base the OSRA.
Previous MMS contractors (RAND Corporation and Applied Science
Associates) did develop circulation and oil spill trajectory models for
the Bering Sea in the late 1970's through the late 1980's, but these
models are no longer functional, available to MMS, or state-of-the art.

Brief Description of Purpose and Scope:
The capability statement must demonstrate the contractor's ability to:
adapt and maximize the skill of an existing, coupled ice-ocean
circulation model that includes the Bering Sea to represent the physical
processes, especially circulation, within the North Aleutian Basin
Planning Area (southeastern Bering Sea); provide MMS with verification
of model skills; and provide MMS with 10-20 year hindcast, gridded
3-hour wind velocity, surface water velocity, ice velocity, ice cover,
and limited other modeled fields as agreed on between contractor and
MMS. MMS will use these results in the oil-spill-trajectory analysis for
a potential oil and gas lease sale in the North Aleutian Basin.

The full notice, including instructions for submitting capability
statements, is available at:
http://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOI/MMS/PO/M07PS13368/SynopsisP.html