DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Request for Information Regarding Expert Services
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is seeking to immediately retain an expert or group of experts with relevant experience in the areas of geology, groundwater hydrology, oil and gas exploration, or oil and gas well workover procedures, including hydraulic fracturing. FDEP will require an expert report to assess a well workover technique, new to Florida, involving an enhanced acidation procedure. The procedure occurred at a well in southwest Florida, south of Lake Trafford in Collier County in late December 2013. The FDEP will request an expert report to be developed by December 31, 2014. The report will address whether the procedure performed at this well posed any threat of groundwater contamination, given the geology and hydrology in the area and the design of the well. FDEP expects that more than $200,000 in consulting services will be needed to complete this project. The expert report is expected to address the following:
- Whether the procedure was designed and carried out in such a way that it would cause or contribute to violations of applicable groundwater quality standards.
- Whether other procedures similar to the one performed would be likely to cause or contribute to violations of groundwater quality standards.
- Potential for injected fluids to migrate through deep geological formations into surrounding groundwater bearing zones.
- Potential for similar operations to impact seismic activities in the region.
- Potential for injected fluids to migrate through well casing into surrounding groundwater bearing zones.
Minimum Requirements
In support of this request, the minimum requirements for a contract to be awarded is verification that the experts is able to perform the following:
- Develop a comprehensive scope of work with FDEP to address agency objectives.
- Consult with third-party experts for local governments and conservation groups.
- Visit the site and inspect the facility as it currently exists.
- Review the available drillers’ files for relevant information.
- Perform an assessment of site and area geology. Such assessment may include review of the drilling log(s), review of logs of other wells in the area as available from FDEP and the Water Management District, personal or corporate knowledge of area geology, and other literature references.
- Review the report prepared and submitted in preparation of the work-over procedure. Review of proposed injection pressures and pressure records from the work over procedure, if available, to verify the procedure was carried out as proposed.
- Review of any mechanical integrity testing completed at the site.
- Review of all existing groundwater monitoring data available to determine if any of the injected fluids resulted in groundwater contamination.
- Determine any risk of transmission of injected fluids to aquifers.
- Produce an opinion as to the potential for contamination of groundwater/aquifers where TDS is <10,000 ppm.
Requested Information
Any party interested in providing this service to the department must respond to this request and provide the following information:
- Short proposal explaining how the expert can fulfil the minimum requirements alone or in partnership with other experts with necessary expertise.
- Statement supporting qualification as an expert(s).
- Identity of all personnel expected to work on the request.
- Resumes of all key personnel expected to work on the request.
- Statement of hourly rates for all proposed personnel.
Exclusion of bidders
- No employees, contractors, associates, or agents – who have had such a relationship within the last 10 years – of FDEP, Collier Resources, Baron Collier Partnership, Collier County, or the Southwest Conservancy.
- No FDEP oil and gas permittees or agents of permittees.
- No employees or contractors (past or present) of Dan A. Hughes Co.
- No members of the Big Cypress Swamp Advisory Committee.
Responses
FDEP will accept responses to this notice through September 3, 2014. The Department reserves the right to reject any and all proposals in its absolute discretion and to extend the time for responses. FDEP will also be available to address additional questions about this notice. Please send responses and questions to:
Larry R. Morgan, Senior Deputy General Counsel
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
3900 Commonwealth Blvd., MS #35
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000
Email: Larry.Morgan@dep.state.fl.us
Phone: (850)245-2242
Pursuant to Section 287.057(3)(f)(4), Florida Statutes, contracts for expert witness services are not subject to competitive solicitation requirements. The Department’s decision relating to those services is not subject to protest under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes.
