Sample Analysis Services for mineral separation, fission track, and U-Pb geochr

Special Notice of Intent to Award a Sole Source Procurement.

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE.

THIS IS A NOTICE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENT TO ISSUE A SOLE SOURCE AWARD.

This Notice is to announce that the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Geology and Environmental Change Science Center (GECSC) is proposing to negotiate a contract with GeoSep Services, LLC on a sole source basis for mineral separation, fission track, and U-Pb geochronologic analysis of apatites and zircons as a part of the Ozark Dome-Arkoma Basin_Ouachita belt Transect (ODABOuT) project, and possibly other projects conducted by the USGS GECSC including the Intermountain West project.

The proposed action is for analysis services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority FAR 13.106-1(b)(1). The reason justifying this sole source procurement is that the Government believes only one responsible source can provide the services that will satisfy the agency's requirement.
The following is a description of services that are required to be performed but not limited to:

The Contractor shall maintain a facility dedicated to mineral separation with a trained technical staff experienced in dealing with mineral separation, fission track, and U-Pb geochronologic analysis of apatites and zircons as well as ¿double dating¿ of single zircon grains.

The Contractor shall perform the following Tasks:

a. separation of zircon and apatite grains from bulk rock samples provided by the USGS; the Contractor shall separate up to 2 kg of rock and to total records of the material provided, processed, and separated;
b. fission track analysis for apatite and/or zircon from a sample, including chemical etching and 252Cf-derived fission fragment irradiation of grains to reveal spontaneous fission tracks; etch conditions shall conform to options in the HeFTy modeling package; microscopic measurement of the density of spontaneous fission tracks observed in apatite grains, microscopic measurement of the length and crystallographic orientation of spontaneous fission tracks; length measurements shall be calibrated to the Durango apatite length measurements used in annealing kinetic models by Ketcham and others; and determination of 238U concentration for track-counting targets using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) or external detector methods;
c. measurements of kinetic parameter Dpar for all apatite fission track samples;
d. a method to calibrate Dpar measurements against length measurements underpinning common fission track annealing models;
e. U/Pb crystallization age analysis for a set of samples (this may or may not include single apatite or zircon grains that are also to be fission track targets) using LA-ICP-MS of Uranium and Lead isotope ratios;
f. preliminary analysis of combined zircon ZFT and U/Pb ages; and
g. return of unused portion of sample and zircon and apatite separates and/or apatite or zircon mounts to USGS.
h. Upon the USGS Technical Liaison¿s request, the Contractor shall return grain mounts with maps of laser spots for follow up analysis by USGS.
i. The Contractor shall also provide information about measurements of primary and secondary geochronological and thermochronological standards upon request. The Contractor shall also provide information about experimental conditions such as laser spot size, etc. The exact number of target samples will vary on an annual basis and will largely depend on the outcome of field campaigns.

This is a sole source notice published for informational purposes only and not a request for competitive quotes. Therefore, no solicitation document exists for this requirement. However, all responsible parties interested in responding to this notice are invited to submit a capability statement by the time and date specified in this notice that provides sufficient details for consideration by the Government, via email to: ldwilliams@usgs.gov.

The determination not to compete the contract based on the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Phone calls will not be accepted in response to this notice. All information submitted should support the offeror's capability to provide the product required and shall be furnished at no cost or obligation to the Government. Responses must be in writing and must provide clear and concise documentation indicating an offeror's bona fide capability to provide these services. Verbal responses are not acceptable and will not be considered. The Government reserves the right to cancel this requirement.