The 34,000-ton, 290-meter high Tamar gas production rig has a 50-man crew, who are realizing the Israeli natural gas revolution on a daily basis. Most of these workers are Texans, but some are Israelis, and other nationalities.
Israel is on the verge of an economic revolution thanks to its offshore riches, "The Financial Times" wrote about the country's natural gas industry. In April 2013, the dream became a reality, when the platform began delivering gas from the Tamar field to Israel's coast for the operation of power stations, refineries, and factories.
Correspondents, guests, and dignitaries are delivered to the platform by helicopter, but regular workers arrive by ship from the Ashdod Port. The ship has a special stabilization mechanism to reduce movement caused by waves, enabling the workers to be lifted by cage to the platform by a crane. People with vertigo should look for another job the distance from the platform's floor to the sea is almost 100 meters, and the cage is lifted onboard within seconds.
Most of Tamar's crew are men, with an occasional woman making an appearance. The foreign workers work a 28-day shift, followed by a 28-day break. The Israelis work 14 days on, 14 days off. Salaries include the time the workers are at home.
Since the production platform is due to remain in use for many more decades, Tamar's operator, Noble Energy Inc. (NYSE: NBL), decided to train Israelis to work on it. For this purpose, it is establishing a center to train workers in the energy and natural gas industry at the Ruppin Academic College. The first class will open in October 2014.
A shift at Tamar last 12 hours. For this reason, even during the afternoon, life in the residential quarters is quiet, to avoid disturbing the sleep of the night shift workers. The shift begins with suiting up: from a fire resistant outfit, through goggles and a helmet, to earplugs.
The platform's core is located beneath the residential area. On three levels are a complex network of pipes, huge valves, bearings, and generators.
The Tamar gas field lies 150 kilometers to the northwest from the production platform, located at the old Mari B well of Yam Tethys offshore from Ashkelon. The gas is brought by pipeline at very high pressure from the gas field's wellhead on the seafloor. Upon arrival at the production platform, the gas undergoes preliminary refining to separate the natural gas from other gases, and to reduce the pressure for delivery by another pipeline to the onshore terminal.
When a shift is over, the workers go to rest. The residential quarters resemble an army barracks: no window and two bunk beds, but the conditions are something that soldiers can only dream about. Each quarter has a shower and toilet, a multichannel satellite TV screen at the foot of each bed. The workers listen via earphones, and a curtain provides a modicum of privacy. The "office" is a large general purpose room for a variety of uses, from conducting briefings and conference calls to gatherings to watch a movie or sports event from somewhere in the world shown a big-screen TV with surround sound stereo.
However, the workers' real pampering is culinary. The platform's kitchen operates 24 hours a day, offering abundance as only Americans can: from pancakes, cheese, burritos, and pizzas to sausages and a variety of meats and fish on the grill. If a crewman wants to use his downtime to diversify his menu by fishing, regrettably that is not allowed; but neither is there a need for it.
The menu and the desserts explain the need for the platform's gym. Besides the daily cakes, there are countless cookies and snacks, a full ice cream freezer, and a machine for three flavors of soft serve ice cream.
There is just one thing missing from the kitchen, which can serve 27 men simultaneously: alcohol. The drinking of alcohol of any kind anywhere on the platform is absolutely forbidden, even if it is just Shandy. It is no coincidence that the cliché "the shoemaker is barefoot" applies, it is in the kitchen: its electric stove is powered by a diesel generator, rather than gas.
After a good meal, anyone who wants a smoke goes to the hallway marked smoking corner, which has a view of the nearby Yam Tethys rig, built a decade ago and which met Israel's natural gas needs until 2012 when the field was depleted. Some of its workers now work on the Tamar platform.
The vista from the platform is awesome, and on a good day it is possible to see the shore 24 kilometers away. The Israel Navy ships patrolling the platform's waters somewhat disturb the serenity.
As Israel's most expensive infrastructure platform, costing $3.5 billion, and given its economic importance, it is a high-quality target for Israel's enemies. The platform is equipped with defenses: a security team with intrusion location devices. The IDF, specifically the Israel Navy, is responsible for protecting the platform's surroundings with a slew of equipment ranging from ships that are seen sailing by to unseen devices. As the platform providing 40% of Israel's energy needs, it needs protecting.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 16, 2014
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