← SCP Cost Explorer Read on SCP Wiki ↗
SCP-2023 Safe ✓ high confidence
SCP-2023
Expected annual
$761K
One-time setup
$561K
Annual recurring
$749K
Personnel
10
First-year setup ~ $561,000 in one-time capital costs (field infrastructure, vehicles, power, and scientific instruments) with recurring annual costs of ~$749,225 driven mainly by staff wages (security + archaeologists + scientists), travel, and contingency.
🏗️ One-Time Capital Costs Total: $561K
Equipment $202K
[#5, #6, #12, #16, #18] Power infrastructure (generator/solar/batteries), vehicles purchase, initial surveillance hardware, drone platforms, and initial data/storage hardware.
Initial Research And Lab Setup $200K
[#13] Scientific instrumentation for non-contact analyses (Raman, thermal/IR, high-rate audio, spectrometers, etc.).
Facilities $81K
[#4, #20, #29] Field office containers, fencing/signage and visitor barriers (initial) plus decommissioning/site restoration reserve.
Emergency Pr Legal Retainer $50K
[#26] One-time rapid-response legal/PR retainer to mitigate initial exposure risk.
Initial Legal And Permit Fees $20K
[#2] Initial legal fees and permit applications to establish archaeological cover and handle local bureaucracy.
Cover Story Materials Initial $8K
[#19] Initial public-facing PR materials, signs, brochures and localization for the archaeological cover.
🔄 Annual Recurring Costs Total: $749K/yr
Staff Wages $452K/yr
[#8, #9, #10, #11, #21] Salaries & benefits for 2 on-site archaeologists, ~4 full-time-equivalent security guards, 1 full-time scientist, seasonal augmentation (2–4 techs during peak months), and local liaison/seasonal worker stipends.
Operational Contingency $98K/yr
[#30] Contingency (15% of estimated recurring operations) for unforeseen expenses (legal spikes, equipment loss, weather damage).
Logistics And Transport $55K/yr
[#22, #23] Travel, lodging and per-diem for rotating/non-local staff; liability insurance and medical/emergency response coverage.
Research And Monitoring $48K/yr
[#14, #15, #16, #17, #18] Instrument maintenance/calibration and consumables, outsourced acoustic analysis, drone maintenance/insurance, lab analyses (air/particulate/isotope), and secure data hosting/communications.
Cover Story And Legal $48K/yr
[#1, #3, #19, #24] Land access/easement compensation; ongoing legal/municipal liaison and permit renewals; PR reprints/updates; environmental/wildlife permitting and specialist coordination.
Supplies And Consumables $24K/yr
[#7, #28, #25] Fuel, vehicle maintenance & registration; consumables and PPE (batteries, first aid, replacement housings); non-lethal monitoring materials for insects.
Security Escalation Reserve $20K/yr
[#27] Budgeted reserve for rapid security escalation (temporary closures, extra guard hires, external specialists).
Facilities Maintenance $5K/yr
[#12, #20] Maintenance and upkeep for surveillance installations and visitor-management hardware (annual upkeep/replacements).
⚡ Cost Scenarios
📊 Baseline (baseline) $749K/yr
89.0% probability / year
Normal, uneventful year with routine seasonal manifestation and planned operations.
routine_autumn_variant no unauthorized exposure planned seasonal monitoring
🚨 Minor Incident $789K/yr
8.0% probability / year +$40K vs baseline
Localized intrusion or persistent curiosity requiring temporary escalation of security and PR/legal response.
unauthorized hikers/picnickers minor media attention temporary security surge
🚨 Major Media Exposure $1.0M/yr
3.0% probability / year +$300K vs baseline
Significant public or scientific exposure leading to prolonged investigation, major PR/legal costs, and potential temporary shutdown.
investigative journalism researcher/public breach regulatory intervention
👥 Personnel 10 total
Role Count Notes
Archaeologist (cover staff) 2 [#8] Two full-time archaeologists to maintain archaeological cover and interact with inspectors/tourists.
Security Officer / MTF Agent 4 [#9] Rotational trained guards for 24/7 perimeter coverage (shifted staffing to maintain continuous presence).
Research Scientist 1 [#10] At least one full-time field scientist (geologist/botanist/acoustician) coordinating analyses and studies.
Seasonal Technician (peak months) 3 [#11] 2–4 technicians during autumn variant monitoring; estimated ~3 present during peak months for monitoring and crowd control.
📋 Confidence Notes
Detailed line-item analyst notes provide concrete estimates for capital, staffing, and recurring items; local regulatory and operational realities are described, so cost allocations and contingency percentage are well-grounded.
← SCP-2022 ↑ All SCPs SCP-2024 →