PLAYING IN THE SANDPIT IN THE MIDDLE EAST

http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m503/grumpyjeffs/9531.jpg?t=1292933034

Moving a sub-base of a drilling rig without having to tear it all to pieces. The KW 953's are chained together at the front and back coz the Hay-rab steering wheel attendants don't really know left from right or go from whoa. It's all real easy when you have a couple of guys that can work in with each other and do what they are told. It's pretty scary to watch them winch the sub-bases up onto the trucks too. Winch speeds have to be spot on or over she goes.

http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m503/grumpyjeffs/9533.jpg?t=1292933034

The 953's set up in a push/pull configuration. The mud pumps on the back of the two lead trucks weigh around 30 ton each.

http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m503/grumpyjeffs/9532.jpg?t=1292933034

Forward shot of the rig underway. Moving them this way saves 4 or 5 days work.

There's no such thing as OD loads here. When they load the accomodation shacks they sit them sideways on a trailer. It's just like having three 40 foot containers sitting across a normal 40 foot trailer.
The biggest size load would be 40 foot X 40 foot X 15 foot high.
The heaviest load would be the sub-base and derrick (200 ton plus).
Average load of each stores container is around 35 to 40 ton.

All these moves are done over sand. It's in an area called Marib which is about 250km NE of Sana'a (Yemens' capital city). Back before 9/11 this area was part of al Qaedas' terrorist training camp.
It gets as hot as hell here in summer too, days of 55 to 60 are not un-common.

What great pic,s grumpy, geeez you gota good job mate!


Merry xmas Cheers Adam

It ain't a cruisy number workin there. Looks good in pictures but thats about as far as it goes. I was supposed to do a 35 day on/35 day off roster but it never happens. Longest hitch there was 175 days back in 2008. I had to be on call 24/7. There's 7 drilling rigs I looked after and they all operated 24/7. I be lucky if I got 4 hours sleep per night when I was there. They even used to call me and email me when I am home on break.
Yemen is not a real safe place to be right now. I pulled the pin there a month ago and I am off to Saudi Arabia next week to start work for another drilling company, doin the same sort of work.
This is the first Christmas I have spent home in the last 12 years. Kinda feels different, especially here in China. Not like the good old days in Oz, kickin back with a cold stubby or two.
Still, If ya want to make the Hollywood dollars, ya gotta put up with a few inconveniences.
Have a good Christmas and New Year.

Grumpy I just said amazing pics on your other post.
but I gotta say it again- bloody amazing.. and thanks for putting them up! keep em coming please....
Cheers
Richard