TITLE
Vessel for Natural Resource Canada’s 2017 Arctic Marine Geoscience Seabed Survey
CONTRACTING PERIOD
Project work will take place over 40 consecutive days anytime from September 1, 2017, through October 20, 2017, and will consist of 35 working days at sea.
OBJECTIVE
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is seeking availability of a commercial Oceanographic Research Vessel to conduct marine Geoscience research offshore northeastern Canada. Specifically, an Oceanographic Research Vessel is required for 40 consecutive days sometime from September 1 through October 20 2017, as per the following time requirements:
Mobilization at Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA – 3 days
Marine Geoscience cruise in Davis Strait, Hudson Strait, Foxe Basin, and Baffin Bay – 35 days at sea
Demobilization at Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA – 2 days
The survey needs to be conducted during this time period as ice-free waters are required for the types of sampling to be conducted.
BACKGROUND
The objectives of the expedition to Baffin Bay, Davis Strait, Hudson Strait, and Foxe Basin are to improve understanding of the surficial geology, seafloor properties, and processes on the continental shelf and slope. Specifically:
Assessment of regional surficial geology framework in the area. This includes the seabed sediments and shallow subsurface bedrock, as well as their physical properties.
Investigation of targeted seabed features in the study areas, including known and potential seabed hydrocarbon seeps.
Fieldwork will be continuous during the specified dates, less the time it takes to transit to/from the field site. It will be a 24-hour per day operation. In general, sampling work will occur during the day and hydroacoustic surveys at night. On occasion, hydroacoustic surveys will be 24 hours per day. The work sites are located in remote locations in Nunavut waters up to 200 nm offshore and in water depths up to 3000 m.
Sediment sampling during the day is to include: primarily piston coring, along with some dredge samples and seafloor photography/video. Cores are to be processed on board the vessel, with physical properties and hydrocarbon indicator measurements to be taken in the lab by NRCan personnel. Core sections will be sealed and stored in a refrigerated container until the ship returns to Halifax.
Hydroacoustic surveys during the night (and sometimes during the day) are to include: high resolution sub-bottom 3.5 kHz surveying and multibeam bathymetry data collection. Seafloor photography at night may also be required.
REQUIREMENTS
The Statement of Work outlines all mandatory requirements that an Offshore Research Vessel is to include to be considered capable of completing the NRCan 2017 Arctic Marine Geoscience Seabed Survey research cruise. The Bidder must provide proof of Contractor capability and vessel’s capacity to meet all mandatory requirements. Copies of all relevant certificates must be included in a Bidder’s submission as proof. References to certificates (e.g., in Curriculum Vitae) is not considered proof, as it cannot be substantiated. Should a Bidder not provide certain information, the Contracting Authority may follow-up with the Bidder to get the information for verification purposes. Despite this, the onus remains on the Bidder to submit all information and proof needed to clearly demonstrate that a requirement is met.
