CLOSED: Request for Proposals: Search Project Phase 2 Airborne +/- Radiometric Survey

RFP is CLOSED

Geoscience BC is pleased to issue a new Request for Proposals (RFP) : for an airborne magnetic geophysical +/- radiometric survey to be flown as part of the Search project.

The Search Project, launched in 2015, is designed to stimulate new mineral exploration activity and to enhance the success of existing exploration activities in central British Columbia. This project has been designed to develop a better understanding of the mineral potential of the area, by collecting new geophysical data, and integrating the results into new geoscience products.

Geoscience BC is now seeking proponents to undertake the survey over the Search Phase 2 project area. Details on this RFP, survey location files in shapefile format and related documents are available for download at the links below:

Proposals should be submitted by email no later than 12 pm (PST) on June 1st, 2016.

CLARIFICATIONS on the RFP - Based on Enquiries Received to May 27, 2016

• Flight lines for the survey should continue to the extents of the provided shapefile and turns for the next line should occur outside that boundary. The GSC stair casing method of flight line placement is acceptable for tie lines close to non-perpendicular edges of the survey area, May 27, 6:00 PST

• It is acceptable that flight line navigation be done in the Geographic or UTM coordinate system.May 27, 6:00 PST

In the Geographic coordinate system (latitude and longitude) tie lines will be parallel to meridians of longitude and flight lines will be parallel to parallels of latitude. This will result in lines which carry smoothly from one UTM zone to another tie lines that become slightly closer together moving north in the project area.May 27, 6:00 PST

If navigation is done in the UTM coordinate system, Navigation may be done in UTM zone 9, or UTM zone 10, or both. However, if navigation is done in UTM zone 9, lines flown in Zone 10 will be flown parallel to E-W in Zone 10. If navigation is done in zone 10, lines flown in zone 9 will be flown parallel to zone E-W in zone 9. There will be a small section of the flight line at the zone boundary where the flight path will be slightly offline to accommodate the small turn at the zone change. GBC will not require flight lines to be broken at the zone boundary and then restarted in the adjoining zone.May 27, 6:00 PST

GBC does not want lines parallel to UTM Zone 10 east-west in zone 9, nor parallel to UTM zone 9 in zone 10. If navigating these lines in the UTM coordinate system is a problem, flying in the geographic coordinate system is quite acceptable. May 27,2016 6:00 PST

• NOTE: Relaxation of Specification Concerning Flying to the UTM grid verses a geographical grid, May 25,2016 5:09 PST

Geoscience BC has received significant input with respect to its specification that the survey must follow a UTM grid and alter flight lines as it crosses Zones 9 and 10. We have flown surveys in this region previously that followed the specific Eastings for each Zone and desired consistency. In light of broad feedback, Geoscience BC will accept proposals that utilize a geographic grid following lines of latitude and longitude. Proposals that adhere to the specification of following a UTM will be accepted also. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused in the preparation of bids, and highly value the input that has brought this issue to light. May 25,2016 5:09 PST

• NOTE: This requirement has been relaxed as in above comment.

The survey changes UTM Zones at 126 degrees longitude between Zones 9 and 10. Contractors should plan to fly lines going UTM EW in zone 9 per Zone 9, and UTM EW in zone 10 per Zone 10. This will introduce a small turn in the lines at the UTM boundary. It is expected and accepted that flying lines in this manner across the Zone boundary will result in a minor kink in flight lines due to flying "offline" to make this adjustment during continuous data collection. May 25th

• There are three areas within the shapefile provided that Geoscience BC wishes to exclude from the survey (e.g. two protected areas and one town). There are no known restrictions from flying over the protected areas beyond wildlife management considerations as identified in the plan which forms part of the supporting documentation for the RFP. Proposals may include alternatives to excluding the protected areas or town; however, cost of the survey is a factor that will be considered in the RFP review process. May 25th

• The scale bar on our supplied map in the RFP document is incorrect. The shapefile provided should be considered the boundary which we wish to have surveyed. May 25th

• A noise envelope of 0.1 nT or less is required. May 25th

• The digital copy of the proposed drape surface is requested to assess what the ground clearance over the survey area will be, and to provide data to allow Geoscience BC to check that the performance of the proposed aircraft is consistent with the proposed drape. If the bid submission is submitted by email, and the ancillary data is too large to include, then a Dropbox or ftp site can be provided to transfer the associated large files to Geoscience BC. May 25th

• If a bid offers radiometrics, the same bid should be provided without radiometrics. A bidder can offer more than one drape surface with magnetic and radiometrics, and magnetic data only prices being proposed for each drape surface considered. Offering two different drape options is not required, nor generally expected. May 25th

• A payment schedule should be proposed by the bidder. For example this may be mobilization, a line kilometer payment for lines completed, a payment for the completion of flying, and a payment for completion of processing. May 25th

• As the survey area is large and weather is unpredictable, it may be of advantage to Geoscience BC and the contractor to fully complete data acquisition over, say, 60% of the survey, and then to fully process and complete this while finishing the rest of the survey. A provision to do this may be included in the bid. Which area to be prioritized will be difficult to predict at the start of the survey. Geoscience BC will not furnish priority areas as part of the RFP process.May 25th

• It is permissible to break lines for reasons such as logistics, weather or wildlife avoidance. Sufficient overlap should be provided to ensure data quality is maintained along the entire line.May 25th