← SCP Cost Explorer Read on SCP Wiki ↗
SCP-5003 Safe ~ medium confidence
SCP-5003
Expected annual
$5.9M
One-time setup
$30.8M
Annual recurring
$5.4M
Personnel
23
One-time capital and contingency spending is dominated by potential excavation/remediation; baseline annual costs are driven by research staff, continuous monitoring, and security (~$5.4M/yr). Exceptional operations (drilling/excavation) can add millions to tens of millions in one year.
🏗️ One-Time Capital Costs Total: $30.8M
Full Excavation Project $25.0M
[#30] Option for full excavation/removal/neutralization (large-scale engineering project; per project estimate).
Facilities $1.8M
[#1, #6, #9, #10, #27] Seal installation, fiber/power conduit runs, geotechnical shoring and cavern reinforcement, fire/surge suppression installation, and initial cable remediation.
Equipment $1.1M
[#5, #7, #11, #26] Sensor array installation hardware, remote-inspection robotics and tooling, power conditioning/backup hardware, and initial specialized PPE.
Contingency Reserve $1.1M
[#22] One-time contingency / reserve fund for accidental damage, emergency excavation, or major remediation.
Specialist Operation $1.1M
[#15] Episodic specialist contractor/drilling/coring and controlled breach operations (per major operation).
Initial Research And Lab Setup $625K
[#8, #12] Scientific instrumentation, diagnostics, sample-analysis lab setup, and energy-metering/forensic study installation.
🔄 Annual Recurring Costs Total: $5.4M/yr
Research And Monitoring $2.2M/yr
[#5, #7, #8, #12, #13, #19, #29] Sensor/network operations & maintenance, robotics repairs & spares, instrumentation calibration/consumables, ongoing metering, planned test campaigns, data storage/processing & secure comms, and long-term/scale research program.
Staff Wages $1.8M/yr
[#3, #4, #14] 24/7 access-control/security staffing (guards + supervisor), internal rapid-response unit staffing, and dedicated research staff payroll.
Facilities Maintenance $348K/yr
[#2, #6, #9, #10, #18] Periodic seal inspection/maintenance, conduit/power upkeep, geotechnical monitoring/repairs, suppression/HVAC upkeep, and tunnel lighting/electricity/fixture maintenance.
Capital Replacement Fund $300K/yr
[#23] Annual allocation for depreciation and scheduled replacement of major assets (sensors, robots, HVAC, power systems).
Cover Story And Legal $230K/yr
[#20, #21] Legal fees, NDAs, redaction/contractor management and minimal PR/cover-story contingency.
Emergency Medical Readiness $130K/yr
[#16] Trained confined-space rescue team readiness, medical equipment upkeep, oxygen supplies, and drills.
Contractor Liability Overhead $115K/yr
[#28] Vetting, insurance riders, higher pay and oversight overhead for third-party contractors and outside workers.
Supplies And Consumables $78K/yr
[#17, #26] Consumables and spare parts stockpile (cables, batteries, seals, welding supplies) and ongoing PPE replacements.
Training And Certification $62K/yr
[#24] Ongoing cross-training and certification for scientists, security, and technicians.
Cable Management Maintenance $60K/yr
[#27] Ongoing cable labelling, insulation replacement, and mitigation to prevent shorts.
Environmental Monitoring $42K/yr
[#25] Environmental contamination monitoring and disposal of contaminated gear/materials.
Logistics And Transport $0/yr
[]
⚡ Cost Scenarios
📊 Baseline (baseline) $5.4M/yr
84.0% probability / year
Normal year with sealed entrance, routine monitoring, research, and no major operations or incidents.
sealed containment maintained scheduled monitoring and test campaigns no drilling or excavation
🚨 Minor Incident $6.6M/yr
15.0% probability / year +$1.2M vs baseline
A year with an episodic operation (targeted drilling/coring or controlled breach) requiring specialist contractors and significant repairs.
specialist drilling/coring localized repairs/remediation extended test campaign requiring contractor support
🚨 Full Excavation Project $35.4M/yr
1.0% probability / year +$30.0M vs baseline
Decision or forced need to perform full excavation/removal/neutralization of main housing — large civil engineering project.
policy decision to remove/neutralize major discovery requiring full access catastrophic containment risk requiring excavation
👥 Personnel 23 total
Role Count Notes
Security Officer / MTF Agent 6 [#3] Six rotating guards covering three shifts (baseline 24/7 presence).
Security Supervisor 1 [#3] Supervisor assigned to tunnel access/security.
Internal Rapid-Response Team 5 [#4] Armed internal response operators (4–6 operators budgeted).
Research Scientist 2 [#14] Two senior scientists (line-item provided).
Engineer / Maintenance 3 [#14] Three engineers dedicated to electrical/materials work and infrastructure upkeep.
Technician 4 [#14] Four technicians for fieldwork, sensors, and robot operation.
Medical Officer / Rescue 2 [#16] Confined-space rescue / medical standby personnel for rapid response.
📋 Confidence Notes
Estimates are midpoints of wide ranges provided in analyst notes and assume Site-19 baseline posture; many items (drilling, excavation, unknown anomaly behavior) are highly uncertain, producing moderate confidence.
← SCP-5002 ↑ All SCPs SCP-5004 →