Siberia to the Caribbean....:-)

I left the Russian Far East in December 2005 and took a month off then got posted by Commonwealth Veco to Barbados in the Caribbean. Veco had a contract to build a prison for the Bajan Government and I was hired as project field engineer to look after the layout of 15 buildings, utilities, fencing, retention ponds, sewage lagoons, roads, sidewalks. Actually I was hired to go down and monitor the survey company that was subcontracted to do project layout but after a couple weeks it became evident that my assistant and I were going to be doing all the layout. That was fine by me and I spent the next 20 months doing what I love to do. It was a bit of a challenge to go from the cool Siberian climate to hot tropical but after a month the body acclimatizes. Here is a photo of the pool taken from my rear deck where I'd sit at night and listen to the frog's chirping and watch the firefly's dance across the sky. Phil Elliot who worked in Russia with me was on this project. We'd visit in the evening and solve all the world's problems while smoking a good Cuban Cohiba. What a life!
I had a little green friend that would visit me in the evenings. It would scurry in the window and across the ceiling. Sometimes I'd follow it outside and watch it climb the coconut tree. We always seemed to be eye to eye. I miss little greenie......

Yastreb, Russian for Hawk

Yastreb, Russian for hawk is the world's most powerful drill rig. It stands 230 feet (75m) high and will drill up to 20 extended-reach-drilling wells 5 to 6 miles horizontally under the Sea of Okhotsk to a depth of 8500 feet. The rig is land based and designed to withstand the earthquakes that frequent this area. The Sea of Okhotsk is frozen for 4 months of the year necessitating this land-based rig. In 2007 the project set a world record when extended-reach-drilling well Z-11 reached 11.282 meters (37.014 ft). That record was broken in early 2008 with well Z-12 reaching 11.680 meters (38.320 ft). The Chayvo field contains 17 of the world's 30 longest extended-reach-drilling wells.

Aerial view of the dredging operation

The harbour was constructed to accomodate the barges that carried the modules from South Korea to Chayvo

This photo shows the route the pipeline will follow to the DeKastri terminal for export

Flare Lift Oct. 1, 2005

October 1, 2005 was a flare raising experience for ECC-Veco at Chayvo. After several long days of planning it was time to get the flare stack off the ground and into the air. Conditions were perfect with clear skies and no wind. Two triple 9's and one triple 8 cranes were used to lift the flare onto the 24 giant bolts that secure the flare base to the pedestal. ECC-Veco's survey crew had painstakingly laid out the bolt patterns, checking and rechecking because there was no room for error. In less than 2 hours Chayvo's skyline was changed forever and for those of us who had arrived in Chayvo when it was nothing more than a big empty grass field this was a milestone. A lot of hard work was finally paying off and we were fortunate to be in Chayvo at that moment to witness it. The flare base slid perfectly onto the 24 bolts and if there had been champagne available this would have been the time to uncork a bottle or two!
The Flare Stack in position and ready to be raised

About 60 minutes into the lift

Free standing Oct. 2, 2005

The Flare Pedestal and 24 bolts securing it to the massive concrete foundation

I got to meet and work with so many wonderful people on the Sakhalin 1 Project

It was a privilege to work on a project of this scale and significance but it was an even greater honor to work with so many wonderful people. Here are a some of those people.

Nicholay, Bruce, and Svetlana

Vasily

the carpenters who worked so tirelessly on the TEG building

Andre

a group photo taken outside the Veco office

hey, there's me watching the flare stake get raised

every birthday was celebrated with a beautiful cake. This time its Michael's turn.

Bruce from Canada, Igor from Russia, and Ted from America

Michael and Natasha having coffee break

Igor and Nicholay

Veronika

Rob and Svetlana

Natasha and myself at the TEG building during layout of the concrete pedestals. Our crew set 450 bolts within 2mm tolerance and only had one bolt out of place which they were able to drill in after the concrete set. What a professional group of surveyors I had the priveldge of working with.

It got cold in November 2005. The goggles came in handy when the dust storms hit.

Andre relaxing

the other Andre surveying the heavy haul road

oops, same group photo

Clay had a birthday in Chayvo too

Ivan and Nicholay checking out the new camera

Anatoli peeling an apple on the train. On one of the trips to Yuzhno Anatoli came to my compartment and we shared a shot of vodka in the dark. That was such a special moment and one I shall never forget. Neither of us could speak the others language but that didn't matter. Thanks Big Boss Man!

Anatoli bought a new hat while home in Kharbarosk. It don't get much more Russian than that fur hat!

Where in the world is Chayvo??

Where in the world is Chayvo you're perhaps wondering. If you can find Japan (the big island with the yellow dot on it) go north and spot a smaller island close to the mainland of Russia. Its the long, skinny island with the forked tail on the south end. That is Sakhalin Island and Chayvo is located near the north end on the east shore.

This is a satellite image of the area in red where the Sakhalin 1 project is located. Photo taken before construction commenced during 2004.

This is a satellite image taken in early 2006 showing the Onshore Processing Facility, the heavy haul road and 1 km long bridge, and the wellsite. The Modules were built in South Korea and shipped to the harbour that was constructed at the wellsite. The Mod's were then transported down the 8 km long heavy haul road on the Mammoets to the OPF. There were about 20 Mod's delivered summer of 2005 and the remainder in 2006. ECC-Veco drove the piling for the plant (approx 3500 piles), constructed the haul road, and did a lot of underground work such as oily water system, underground wiring and such. It was a big project in scope and cost. Originally designed to pump 250,000 barrels per day and latest estimates are 300,000 barrels per day.

Mod's being built in Korea

the 1km long Bridge that the Mod's had to cross. The guardrails had to be removed to give clearance.

ok everybody...cross your fingers and knock on wood

the mammoets are self propelled vehicles and can obviously take a tremendous load. Note the elephant logo!

home sweet home

When time and weather permit this is where I love to be....out on the deck sipping a rum coke!

Here's a glimpse into my little world. For the past 5 years I haven't seen much of my home as I've been working overseas in the Russian Far East, Barbados in the Caribbean and then Baker Lake, Nunavut. I love to sit out on the top deck where the views of Kootenay Lake are just so wonderful. I have 10 beautiful acres of mostly treed land and some fruit trees that provide organic pears, apples, peaches and plums. There's even a huge blackberry bush that provides me with delicious pies.

my groovy little pad!

so....thats where I kick back and chill after weeks or months away from home.

translators at Chayvo during construction of Sakhalin 1

Svetlana celebrating her birthday in the Veco office and sharing the cake with the surveyors. Svetlana worked as Veco interpreter for many rotations and helped the expats immensely

Anastatia and Veronika

Staas was my interpreter for a couple rotations in Chayvo. I learned a great deal of local history from Stan and he taught me to count to one hundred in Russian which was a small miracle. He was always cheerful and a joy to be around.

Natasha was my translator during construction of the TEG building. When the sun sank low beneath the pipe rack she wanted a photo of herself holding the sun. She sings and plays guitar too!