Logging

...didn't quite go according to plan for reasons that I am too tired to go into so just thought I would leave you with a picture of the rig I took yesterday morning :-)

Rig life so far

So, I have now been here 24 hours and I still get a flutter when I step out of the office container and look up at the rig. Especially at night when it is all lit up and purring away :-)

Well first off, I won't be able to give you as much info as when I was out in Salym, as the work here is rather a lot more confidential. But I will give you as much as I can.

The rig here is a lot bigger than the ones I have been on previously! It also does not have a staircase up the derek (the pointy bit) but a rather exposed ladder, so I am not feeling the photos from the monkey board this time...

It is also rather a lot dirtier, partly due to the drilling mud used (it is oil-based mud which makes the whole thing a lot stickier and messier than water-based) but also to the crew not taking as much care of their work environment.

I get quite a different feel from the team here, definitely not as integrated as what one might expect on a rig, but they seem to be working on it and slowly improving.

Last night we had a meeting about logging with the 2 DSVs, Toolpushers and Wellsite engineers (Day&Night shifts) where I got to explain the plan and quizzed about the pressure testing in the well. On the whole I enjoyed that, as I felt I knew what I was talking about though it felt strange getting used to this new position - ie Town come to the Rig, rather than completely part of the team. However, I am trying to work on that one :-)

I am the only woman on the rig, all the cleaners and cooks here are male too. I was wondering how that would pan out over here but so far it hasn't been much of an issue. Except for the night DSV who thought he could talk over me after asking a question for the geologist, and generally fits the description of a mysoginistic so-and-so. But I managed to deal with that, feeling that everyone else was actually 'on my side'.

That's it for now, enjoyed some Christmas pudding today, shared with Andrew (wellsite geo) and Scott (Scottish mud guy) as well as Doug (canadian toolpusher). By the way there is a huge number of different nationalities on this rig, which I think is pretty unusual-I've got to 17!!

The rig and camp are separate, about 10-15mins' walk or a quick car ride, which apparently is usual for HPHT rigs (keeping most people/living quarters at a distance in case of problems). I am lucky to have got a room at the rig, which means I can roll out of bed in the morning without it being too painful :-) and fall asleep to the purring of the rig. I had almost forgotten the permanent noise of a rig and how comfortable that sound becomes (silence = problem!)

The desert here is so flat and empty it makes the moon seem positively exciting (well, you know, other than being in space and stuff). Next time we need to pick one of the other deserts here for our well location!! But it is a really strange feeling, the rig looks really exposed in the middle of nowhere - haven't even seen any animals or anything, just a couple of flies on the rig. A few pylones are visible on the horizon...I think. Or it could be a mirage. Who knows!

Even the darkness looks different. On the walk over to camp from the rig for dinner last night, I noticed the horizon looked really dark and well...it's a very hard thing to describe, empty darkness...

I am really enjoying taking it all in and transposing my experiences into the Arabic/Libyan version. My ear is still automatically straining to hear Russian but I am trying to learn a few bits of Arabic here, I already know how to say 'crazy old man' ;-)

That's it for now, I am off to take some photos if I can find someone who will lend me a camera...

Here are some photos of our Christmas Dinner last night :

Decorations

The Toolpusher's plastic tree (it had flashing lights :-)

A royal spread...and two amazing huge turkeys!!

At the rig !!! :-)))

Just a quick one to say that after 3weeks of waiting, 1 day of 'definitely not going', and 1 day of ('definitely going'), mad panic re-organising everything including flights home I travelled out to the rig this morning and arrived here on T202 around 11am. The plan is to witness some logging, probably tomorrow evening, and over the next 3 days (Andrew the wellsite geo and I will be alternating). We will be logging with Halliburton.
This evening we were given a slap-up meal for Christmas which was lovely-photos to follow. It made the lousy timing a lot better.
I am pretty tired as have been doing the ops for almost 4 weeks and had a very short night last night due to packing/early flight.

So for now, ***********MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE**************

Helena's house

I ended up having a nice day yesterday for Eid. Came in as usual before 8 to do the ops reporting and morning call and the server was still not working. In fact it had got worse so my computer kept crashing asa I did anything...so I decided to call it quits (nothing much going on with drilling anyway) and go home. Actually I ended up calling Avantika as I knew she was going to the beach in Tajura with her friends, so I raced back, bundled the dog into the car and followed them to the beach.

The weater here has been lovely, about 15 degrees and really warm sun so it was quite enjoyable, though Tajura was stuck under a cloud most of the time.

Tripper had never seen the sea before and it was pretty amusing watching him discover and race the waves!

Headed home around lunchtime and had a snooze in the sun, enjoying in the all-pervasive barbecue smell (yes, sheep sheep and sheep - the last few days have been pretty amusing with sheep turning up in the most random places!)

I spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking my cases and bags properly, re-organising things that need too go to my new house and generally sorting through paperwork. Also got a chance to take a few pics of the house so here they are.

Helena's house:

The view outside the gate:

I want one!

It's a hard life being a naughty dog...

Back-post

I just published an old post about my housing situation here

Dog

Well on Thursday I moved out of Avantika's house, as she had some friends coming to stay, and into Helena's house, who is away for a month and needed a house-sitter.

All this because of course, my landlord still hasn't finished the house, spent all the money (on a new car :-~( and hasn't got back to fixing things again.

However, now that I am on my own in a dog-friendly house I have been able to bring the dog home with me and actually spend some time with him :-))

So, meet Tripper (named after Tripoli of course!):

I have started training him: first to sit, which he is learning quite fast (it's only been a day! but he remembers when he is paying attention to what I say). I also need to house train him (right now I tend to leave him outside during the day but if it rains that might not be ideal-until he has his kennel in my own house that is)

Playing catch-up

There has been so much going on (good and bad) recently that I just haven't had a chance to write anything. Apologies for anyone who doesn't get my 1-line Facebook updates.

I am goingt o post a bunch of things that won't be in order but they should give a good idea of things here.

Can I just re-iterate that I cannot possibly understand how anyone would get bored here...triple-bookings are a regular feature!!

Still alive!

Just had 8 days of internet and phone downtime. Crazy place.

Sabratha

I can't believe this was 4 weeks ago already but there you have it.

So, on Friday 17th October, Mark & Judith organised a trip to Sabratha for a bunch of us. In the end, Alan and Heather joined too with their car so it was a highly organised mini-expedition :-) It was great having Heather there as she could provide some context (Classics phD).

Also present were Azrina, the cross-postee from Malaysia, and Salim (5 of us in M&J's Xtrail) and a couple of geophysicists (Steve and Dinger) in A&H's Xtrail.

Here are the pics, it was a fantastic day out and I must say I got very excited after recognising various parts of the town, and houses etc. So nice to look at Roman history again and so impressive to see what they had managed to achieve more than 2000 years ago. From the photos, you will see that it was a pretty big town, and quite well preserved/restored in parts too (theatre).

Unfortunately I was having exposure problems and my camera needs a good clean-out too so between the two the photos aren't the best but hope they give a decent impression of the place anyway...

For more on Sabratha, you'll just have to come out and visit...

The coliseum


Azrina about to go and meet the lions...

Panem et circenses

Heather in action, with Steve and Salim

The theatre

An old friend...(Paris)

My latin may be abysmal but I am still able to crack a joke:

Come on, it's funny!!

Dinger and Alan trying out the facilities

Hehehe

The trip was rounded off by a highly enjoyable barbecue at Alan & Heather's, sitting back relaxing gazing at the setting sun...life could be a lot worse.

By the way, Alan & Heather are friends with Nick S whom I know from Rijswijk (see old posts) and Mark & Judith I know through Abi2 from Rij as well so it's rather nice completing that circle and getting to know them all a little :-)

Better now :-)

Well I can't say all is well again but I am certainly feeling a lot better now. The house problem especially has been resolved: basically there was a problem with the wiring of the house: it wasn't earthed! and only had single phase supply. Luckily work agreed to sort it out on Monday so I can keep the house and should be moving in in about 1 week-10 days now.

My driving licence is still not here but should be arriving in the next few days apparently.

I still disagree with Marc but we'll get over it.

I can stop worrying about Avantika being tired of having me around as I will not be staying on that much longer; as well as about the dog as again, it isn't such a long wait anymore and when I went to see him last night he came straight up to me and gave me a big lick on the nose :-)

Photos coming up...

Hrmph

I am having a bad day. Everything is going wrong. First my driver was ill, then my house is going down the tubes, then my driving licence is still not ready, I am having a disagreement with our General Manager and I have a headache. :-(
boo hoo hoo :-( why can't anything work.

No comms

We lost all comms in the office last week for three days due to a cut in the main data cable somewhere down the street. What a very strange feeling that was! Completely missed the US elections, impossible to make any phone calls or let anyone know of the problems as even out-of-office didn't work, only reachable by mobile phone for those who know the number.

I just ended up going to my house and doing offline HSE training but it was starting to get rather tedious towards the end and I don't want to imagine how many lost man-hours that cost us...

But hey, that's part of the package here and it would be rather weird for everything to go smoothly. We have only had 2 power cuts since I got here which is a huge achievement apparently, so things are improving.

I must say I have completely transformed my way of thinking already (you have else you leave)...expecting the unexpected is an understatement, and gaining the ability to be amazed when something is there AND works too is a helpful skill to have ;-) Just getting used to the conecpt of having to fix things on a regular basis and basically remember how to be practical around the house is the biggest thing actually, and it makes you realise just how many comforts you take for granted back home.

Anyway, enough of all that, I should go and enjoy the beautiful sunny weather outside (25 degrees) and upload my offline posts tomorrow.

Ciao ciao!

House

Well the internet and phones have all been down for the last couple of days in the office, so other than internal email it has been impossible to do anything and I’ve had a chance to catch up on some things. That includes writing this blog entry!

Well last time I wrote a proper message I was back at the LCM, the island of detached easy life. However, after 15th October they weren’t able to fix me a room as they were completely full and my booking had been messed up. So I went to the guest house for a night but on the same day found out that my house was going to be delayed another 2 weeks .

As I walked into the afternoon meeting looking crushed by this news, Avantika took pity on me and offered me her house to stay in while she was away in the UK for the week. She kindly offered for me to stay on until my house was ready, and we decided it would be fun to be housemates. So I picked up all my bags again and moved into her spare room.

She has been in the house for 6 months or so but has been very busy and hasn’t finished settling in, so the house is not fully furnished - my presence here though is becoming part of the furnishings ;-) The house is huge, and just round the corner from my house, which is rather convenient to just nip over and check on progress.

Here are a few photos of her house, garden, pool, guard house etc. On the first night here on my own I didn’t really get much sleep, due to all the strange noises this house makes. I must say I was getting rather tired then as I had to keep getting up early to do the ops!

Second night was a little better despite the motion sensor light going off around 4.30 am (wind or rats?) and since then I have settled in nicely. Avantika came back last Sunday on the same flight as Matthew, who also stayed over here so that was quite nice and cosy. M left this Sunday, and Avantika left again yesterday, so I am now back on my own, house-sitting…this time feeling rather more at home!

As for my own house, there’s a story - Libyan style. 2 weeks, the time estimated by Andre before he left on holiday, have come and gone and the house is still not ready. Since end of September, the guard house has been built, car port is up and a ceiling has been painted. So I sent Matthew along last week to start pushing the landlord a little, and I have since been going round every other day, flanked by Musab who has been acting as interpreter/helper both with the landlord and in the shops.We managed to choose all the light fittings and these just got installed yesterday. A new fridge and dishwasher have now appeared though are still waiting to be installed. So progress, finally! I also sent round Andre yesterday, fresh from his holiday, with the maintenance guys to see if they can start the safety checks on the house and gas installation.So maybe this weekend? I won’t be holding my breath…

Oh but just in a crazy twist to my life (come on you can’t be that surprised) I have now got a dog!!! I know, might have been an idea to get a house first, but hey…

A young dog was dumped at Marc and Kathryn’s a few weeks ago and they have been looking for a home for it. So after a couple of weeks I thought I would go and look at him, and Kathryn spotted, and went straight for, my weakness ;-) He is half Alsatian, half desert dog so should have good genes, and seems to be pretty intelligent, which is what I am looking for in a dog. So for now he is staying at their house playing all day with Trabbie-the-dippy-boxer but I hope to have him soon.

I can’t believe I finally have a real doggy after all these years…:-)))))))))))Well that’s it for now, more soon.

Crazy two weeks!

I have just been so busy I haven't had time to phone anyone, let alone write blog entries.

Today I thought I would post an update to the away day: the official photos came through.

Some are to show the atmosphere, others are of my friends.

Enjoy the Tripoli feeling!

Sara the receptionist with a hungry Coutry Chair looking on!

Nick K in full swing

Testing out the seatbelt simulator with Judith

Janel and kids

Team in action

Chatting to Marc G and Jacky H

Da Boyz: Mohanned and Choochoo