Critical min. INV. TX cores offshore WAT

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management seeks elemental and mineralogical analyses of 624 samples from 208 geotechnical cores to identify critical mineral deposits along the Texas Outer Continental Shelf, with quotations due July 28, 2026. This is not a set-aside procurement.

Work encompasses sample selection (minimum 3 samples per core), sample collection by experienced geologists, grain size analysis using Laser Particle Size Analysis, elemental analysis to determine composition relevant to the 60 critical minerals on the 2025 Federal Register list, and mineralogical testing including potential heavy mineral separation and provenance analysis. The 74 existing cores and 134 proposed cores are stored in Austin, Texas and Boca Raton, Florida. Period of performance is one year from award. Delivery to BOEM New Orleans GOMR Office is expected 365 days after award with FOB Destination terms.

The contract is firm-fixed-price with partial delivery payments based on three milestones: Summary Report, Core Summary Reports, and Tabular Data in BOEM Specified Schema. Deliverables include a summary report documenting methodologies, individual core reports (1–3 pages per core), sample elemental and mineralogical data in BOEM-specified schema, and monthly meetings with BOEM.

Quotations must include a Technical Volume (maximum 10 pages) addressing technical capability and experience, two past performance references from Government contracts completed within the last three years, and a Price Volume with Standard Form 18. Quotation validity period is 120 calendar days. Award will be made on best value considering technical capability and experience, past performance, and price reasonableness. NAICS code is 541715 with a 1,000 employee small business size standard; PSC is B529. Amendment 0001, issued July 13, clarifies that samples are already split and not frozen; 25% of samples require further processing for mineralogy; potash analysis consists of elemental potassium concentration; and barium analysis requires only elemental barium concentration unless anomalies are detected. Offerors must acknowledge receipt of Amendment 0001 by the submission deadline.