CUSSP SURF Drilling Services

Work Overview:

Battelle, as operator of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), leads The Center for Understanding Subsurface Signals and Permeability (CUSSP). CUSSP aims to develop the ability to predict and control fluid flow through fracture networks in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). This requires understanding how fluid interaction with hot rocks under stress can change the flow behavior over time and learning how to detect and monitor those changes remotely by developing advanced real-time geophysical sensing tools. A fundamental understanding of the impact of geochemical reactions on permeability evolution is key to interpreting the geophysical signatures for remote sensing of evolving EGS systems. All activities in CUSSP are focused on the materials and conditions employed at CUSSP’s field EGS testbed site located on the 4100’ level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota, U.S.A.

As part of CUSSP’s work, three new sub-horizontal HQ-sized boreholes are required to be installed - one (1) 150-foot supplemental production well and two (2) 150-foot monitoring wells to support additional geophysical monitoring and production capture for the CUSSP project. The required drilling services entail diamond core drilling of three sub-horizontal HQ-sized boreholes into the Yates Amphibolite geologic unit on the 4100 level of SURF.

Request for Proposal (RFP) Details:

Anticipated Contract Type: Fixed Unit Price

Basis of Award: lowest price after satisfying all the technical requirements of this RFP

RFP Schedule:

RFP Issuance: May 14, 2025

Intent to Propose: May 21, 2025

RFP Questions Due: May 28, 2025

Proposal Due: June 11, 2025

Companies interested in providing a proposal for this RFP are encouraged to contact the Contract Specialist, Garrett Prather, for more information via email at garrett.prather@pnnl.gov.