CUSSP SURF Drilling Services

The Department of Energy, through Battelle's operation of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), is seeking drilling services for The Center for Understanding Subsurface Signals and Permeability (CUSSP) project. The procurement involves diamond core drilling of three sub-horizontal HQ-sized boreholes into the Yates Amphibolite geologic unit, specifically one 150-foot supplemental production well and two 150-foot monitoring wells to support geophysical monitoring and production capture for enhanced geothermal systems research. The CUSSP project aims to develop capabilities for predicting and controlling fluid flow through fracture networks in enhanced geothermal systems by understanding how fluid interaction with hot rocks under stress affects flow behavior over time. The contract will be awarded on a fixed unit price basis to the lowest price bidder that satisfies all technical requirements. Key dates include the RFP issuance on May 14, 2025, intent to propose deadline of May 21, 2025, questions due May 28, 2025, and proposal submission deadline of June 11, 2025.

This solicitation does not utilize any set-aside designations and is classified under NAICS code 213115 for Support Activities for Nonmetallic Minerals Mining and PSC code F015 for Natural Resources/Conservation Well Drilling/Exploratory services. The work will be performed at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) located on the 4100' level in Lead, South Dakota. The drilling services specifically target the materials and conditions at CUSSP's field EGS testbed site, requiring specialized diamond core drilling capabilities for the underground research environment. Companies interested in proposing are encouraged to contact Contract Specialist Garrett Prather at garrett.prather@pnnl.gov for additional information. The solicitation was posted on June 2, 2025, with a proposal due date of July 2, 2025.