SUNDAY 9th MARCH 2008
I can’t believe it’s nearing the end of Sunday already and I’ve been in TCOV (TengizChevrOil Village) for 4 days. We finished work around 4pm today after starting at 8am. I was in earlier sending a general email to different groups of people just to let them know my new contact details.
I also had to complete an IT quiz which was in 11 modules with being here for 7 days, otherwise they’d take away my access rights. So finally I could settle down and tell you a bit about the place…..
The landscape here is FLAT and BARREN. Nothing to see for miles around except for power lines, sand, water (from the melting snow) and scattered scrub. It reminds me of a very poor, underdeveloped African state but without the water. I’m told that the Tengiz are is 50m below sea level and the water table is about 1.5m below the ground.
The roads are and absolute shocker; pot holes all around, sections missing and still other vehicles manage to pass each other while dodging the damaged sections. On the “very” long bus ride in (which I never thought would end), I saw mombies and been guarded by a strange looking dog. The cattle sure didn’t look undernourished so not sure where they were getting their nutrition from; definitely wasn’t the scrub. The dog(s) on the other hand where about the size of a small Great Danes but had the face of a German Shepard and a coat of wool like a sheep that was brown up their legs and underneath their bodies due to all the muddied fields that seem to be everywhere.
There are two villages that belong to TCO; TCO Village and Shadyrak Village where are within a ten minute walk from each other. Both are about a 20min bus ride to the refinery. TCOV is the older complex which I believe has been around for at least 15yrs. It was built by the Ukraine’s to house the construction staff back in the early 90’s when the plant was been built. They were supposed to be temporary accommodation for the crews and should have been demolished after the construction was completed. The complex is a self contained village about a 1km sq where you work, eat, sleep and entertained. If you work at the plant, you travel by bus every day. If you supply support services to the plant, you work from within the complex. There is a well equipped gym, large indoor heated swimming pool, pub called the Admiral Nelson (only sells beer and wine – inexpensive as a SOL costs about NZ$4) with large screen TV (and has a disco every Sat night), shop (very expensive – box of crackers is about NZ$15), library, clinic, all weather tennis courts, combined football field and baseball pitch, basketball courts (all with night lights), BBQ areas and a landing strip for small aircraft. There are two canteens (north and south). The North is large with seating for about 500 people and serves three varieties of food on offer; Asian Wok, European/USA/UK and National/local dishes. The food is not that great but is tolerable. I find it oily and the veges generally overcooked. There’s always pudding on offer at lunch and dinner and two soup choices plus sauces, bread and rolls. One would have to watch what you eat cause I can see the kgs being packed on. The South on the other hand is what they call a take-out canteen as there are no seating arrangements. Normally people use this to take food to their rooms or to the work site or other places of work. At breakfast and lunch there are two choices; salad and meat rolls or sandwiches at the one counter or a cooked meal similar to the North canteen at the other. At night they go into overdrive with former two choices once again and another two choices; one is a pita bread filled with some kind of meat and a salad, while the other has pizzas, fried potato skins or baked potatoes with meat filling. The choices we are faced with! Laundry is done on a Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday with the same day return; fill out a form, put in a laundry bag outside when you leave in the morning and it’s back in you room when you return at night. The living quarters are a variety of housing blocks (about 20) and large apartment complexes (15). The housing blocks I’m told are reserved more for the Chevron seconded employers of which each has 9 single private rooms with a sink, fridge, TV (60 odd satellite channels with at least half in Russian), single bed, desk and two cupboards (one for each of the back-to-backs). The rooms are about 3m wide by about 6m deep with one window and a hot water radiator and air conditioner. Trying to keep the room warm while maintaining fresh air flow inside is a mission, let me tell you. There’s a communal shower (four bogs, showers, sinks and urinals). There is also a woman’s ablutions which I believe there are a number (?) of women in the house also (haven’t seen them yet). There is also a washing machine, tumble drier and common lounge area with few couches a large dining table and chairs to seat about 12 people. I’m fortunate to be in one of these rooms temporary and right next door to my back-to-back. I’m told when he leaves on 12th, I’ll get his room. He’s been doing this 6yrs now so his room is fairly established and customized with a phone and PC and made to look quite homely. They’re a bit of a dive being old an all but seem to be cleaned every day. I’ve set up my iPod docking station and listen to my music is the TV’s lousy. I can’t tell you about the apartment blocks as I’m yet to check them out. They’re double story and look as though they have about 100 odd rooms in each (must confirm that number).
Shadyrak Village (just a 10min walk from TCOV) on the other a newer complex completed about 3yrs ago. There are about 6 of these ‘‘moon bases” which are totally self contained (no need to walk outside to the canteen, gym, pub, library, clinic, shop etc) and hold about 300 people each (must also confirm that number). They are housing for the contracting staff currently construction and commissioning the new refinery extensions. They ALL travel to site every day. I know a couple friends who live there but are slightly out of sink with my rotation. I may get to see then towards the end of my rotation. Then I can report back on that accommodation block.
I read somewhere that between both camps TCO provide they housing for a total of about 3,000 people and their combined canteens (not sure how many) serve approx 2,5 million meals annually. Bearing in mind these figures EXCLUDE contracting support services to TCO operations. The transportation services (flights) provides for 15,000 passengers per year of which 10,000 are international travelers, while an additional 60,000 are moved via road and rail per annum.
EVERYBODY who works in the Tengiz area is on some sort of rotation, either nationally or internationally. From a 28/28 day rotation to as much as a 6 week/2 week rotation due to it’s remoteness from the rest of the country.
I must add that this is such a large complex that I’m still trying to get my head around. I’ll try and get some pictures to send to you soon.
I’ve just been given my winter clothing and score this beaut thick, all weather jacket with an inside fleece lining and boned winter shoes.
It’s still dark when I leave for work; the sun only rises here at about 8am and goes dark at a similar time. Current temps here are around 5 deg C during the day and 0 deg C in the early morning. The snow has all melted and the sun is out during the days with skies that are generally clear.
I’ll try to take some pic’s soon to give you an idea of the place.
Well, with that note I’ll end off now, so tune in soon for the next exciting episode of “The Continuing Adventures of Borat Pembo”.
