B12_Attachment_1_Redacted_J_A_2.pdf

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION FOR ACQUISITION UNDER THE

SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD PR # 0040624317

1. Contracting Agency and Activity. The Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center 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 Reasonable Available”.

2. Nature of Action Being Approved. The USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center requires a new firm-fixed price purchase order to Platte River Associates, Inc. to renew BasinMod software licenses.

3. Description of Supplies or Services. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center (GEMSC) has an existing license of the Platte River Associates BasinMod software. To maintain this BasinMod 2023 license, the GEMSC requires software renewal, support, and maintenance of Platte River Associates BasinMod 2023 to maintain license continuity for basin modeling. Basin modeling is an integral component of petroleum studies, which are performed during assessments of undiscovered, technically recoverable petroleum resources in the United States. These assessments were mandated by the Energy Policy Conservation Act of 2000 and 2005. BasinMod is a software that can perform basin modeling.

License support for BasinMod includes an update to BasinMod 2023 with the following modules: BasinMod Risk, Unconventional Resource Modeling (URM), and BasinMod Bridge.

4. Estimated Dollar Value.

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.

a. Platte River Associates is the sole proprietor of the BasinMod 2023 software package.

GEMSC employees requesting the contract have been working with this proprietary software for over 20 years for hydrocarbon modeling of conventional and unconventional basins. There are numerous proprietary files (.mod) generated in previous years that are only compatible with the BasinMod software and interpretations saved in the BasinMod file format. Platte River Associates supports the current version of BasinMod (BasinMod 2023), therefore requiring annual support and maintenance to continue to receive software updates and license support.

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION FOR ACQUISITION UNDER THE

SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD PR # 0040624317

b. GEMSC employees currently work with BasinMod, which was last updated and supported in the BasinMod 2022 update. This module works with the proprietary file format of BasinMod (.mod). Thus, specific saved data and software would not be supported if the license is not renewed, which would result in a potential loss of information and repeated work.

c. Previous interpretations made in BasinMod would not be compatible with other hydrocarbon modeling software. Continued use of the software is needed for the long-term continuity of the data set. Any software change at this point would require reprocessing of over 20 years of data.

No other software formatting/outputs are compatible with the Basin Mod format.

7. Other Information. N/A

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

Additional basin modeling applications were identified via Internet research. However, they are not compatible with the proprietary BasinMod .mod file formats required to meet our needs. Due to the length of use of BasinMod and the plethora of proprietary interpretive data that would be lost, no other software can meet the Government’s minimum needs. The vendor does not offer their products through resellers.

A Sources Sought Notice was posted on SAM.gov and no responses were received.

9. Future Plans to Permit Competition.

The USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center is continually searching for more competitive ways to conduct its research that would retain the integrity of the research through networking with professional societies and reading of professional literature. Future requirements will undergo market research and be competed at the maximum extent practicable.

10. Recommendation and Certification from Program Office

Based on the above, I recommend this acquisition be conducted on a sole source basis and certify the above statements are true and accurate

, Research Geologist Signature Date

11. Certifications from the Contracting Officer:

a. The anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable based on public pricing list and/or invoice for the same item to another company or agency.

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