This 60-unit housing complex in Luanda, Angola, is nearing completion and consolidates three previous locations into one.
ensure that working and living arrangements are safe. “Proximity to our office and a local airport is critical in selecting a housing location,” Sturla says. “In developed locales, we look for housing that’s already built. Here in Angola, we’re consolidating current housing into a new com- pound of three-bedroom houses.” While GREF handles work and living arrangements, the Procure- ment team develops contracts and secures suppliers. “Often, there are limited suppliers to choose from and logistics challenges. We also have to understand the rules and
regulations in the specific country and develop the right agree- ments,” Marsh says. There is continual planning to make sure that resources and services are available in remote locations. “When you’re drill- ing 120 miles offshore South America and something breaks, you can’t pick up the phone and get a replacement part delivered immediately,” Marsh says. “One of the first contracts we put in place for drilling campaigns is a shore base for materials and equipment. An idle rig waiting for equipment can cost hundreds
of thousands of dollars a day.” Providing infrastructure for in- formation technology can also be challenging. “We may be operat- ing in an environment with harsh conditions, such as the North Slope of Alaska, where below- freezing temperatures and polar bears are a threat, or in politically unsettled locations like Basra, Iraq,” says Kellie Canaday, whose team sets up IT infrastructure and communications for upstream locations worldwide. “Security issues and logistics can make getting people and equip- ment into a location very chal-
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