SoleSource_Justification_-_MountSopris_-_Caliper_Redacted_1.pdf

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR ACQUISITION UNDER

THE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

1. Contracting Agency and Activity. The Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey Caribbean Florida Water Science Center (USGS FL WSC), Davie, FL plans to contract on a sole source basis. This document sets forth the justification and approval as required by FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) "Only One Source Reasonably Available".

2. Nature of Action Being Approved. This request is for a fixed price award to Mount Sopris Instrument Company, Inc. The purchase includes a specialized geophysical logging probe that is fully compatible with existing systems.

3. Description of Supplies or Services. The USGS FL WSC, Davie, FL requests to buy a QL40-CAL caliper tool with a QL40-FTC water quality attachment, and the associated case and attachment point for power and data cables from Mount Sopris Instrument Company, Inc.

4. Estimated Dollar Value. The estimated dollar amount of this requisition is

5. Statutory Authority. The proposed action may be awarded on a sole source basis under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) – only one source reasonably available.

6. Rationale Supporting Use of Citation in No. 5.

• There are very few companies in the world that manufacture borehole geophysical logging equipment, and fewer still that manufacture logging probes that are compatible with our logging systems. Operation of the geophysical probe we are purchasing requires a compatible winch and data acquisition system. All of the winches and data acquisition systems that the CFWSC owns are manufactured by Mount Sopris Instrument Company Inc, and buying the probe from them guarantees that the probe will be fully compatible with our existing equipment.

• We are purchasing this probe to replace a Mount Sopris probe that we have been using for 20 years. Buying the replacement probe from the same manufacturer as our current probe is necessary to keep our data consistent over time.

• The CFWSC has multiple instruments manufactured by Mount Sopris, and Mount Sopris keeps a database with records of our equipment. This makes it efficient and easy for us to request support for our equipment and allows Mount Sopris to readily advise us on which pieces of equipment are compatible with each other and which additional attachments and support equipment are best for us. A different manufacturer would not be able to provide support or advice for our full suite of available equipment.

7. Other Information. Over the past 30 years, the CFWSC has gradually acquired about greater than worth of completely compatible borehole geophysical logging equipment through many small projects. It would not be feasible to replace all this equipment with another system so that we could use a probe created by another manufacturer.

8. The Efforts to Identify Additional Sources Including the Market Research Conducted.

There are few other manufactures of borehole geophysical logging probes. Market research conducted by the USGS technical point of contact revealed that caliper tools from other manufacturers will not interface with our existing data acquisition system and/or will not fit down all the wells that we log. Per email correspondence with Mount Sopris, it was confirmed that this manufacturer only sells directly within the US. As a result, there are no authorized resellers within the US.

In an FPDS search, the most recent DOI award (140G0123P0129) for the same or similar items is documented as sole source to Mount Sopris Instrument Company Inc.

9. Future Plans to Permit Competition. At present, the instrumentation requested is uniquely qualified to meet our technical requirements, equipment compatibility and data continuity concerns, and other constraints. Future requirements will be competed to the maximum extent possible.

10. Recommendation and Certification from Program Office

Based on the above, I recommend this acquisition be conducted on a sole source basis. I certify that technical data which form a basis for this justification that are the responsibility of technical or requirements personnel are complete and accurate.

Program Officer Date

11. Certifications from the Contracting Officer

a. Prices will be determined fair and reasonable through comparison of recent DOI purchase for similar items and/or price list and recent sales history from the vendor.

b. This justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

12. Approvals:

Contracting Officer Date