The Pearl GTL Project is a fully integrated upstream/downstream project producing 140,000 bbls per day of GTL products and 120,000 boe per day ethane, LPG and condensate. It is located in the Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLIC), some 80 km north of Doha in Qatar.
Much has been written and presented on the large dimensions and complexity of this world scale project, amongst others highlighting the fact that over 48,000 workers are involved during the peak of its construction activities. This paper will describe the infrastructure facilities and support functions that have been established to accommodate a large number of workers in RLIC.
Recognising that many workers will be involved in the project for several years, there has been a conscious move away from the idea of simply a 'camp', and the facility's name, 'Pearl GTL Village', reflects the aim to be more of a community. So, workers - who have come to Qatar from more than 60 countries to build the GTL plant - do not just sleep there: they live in the Pearl GTL Village, which has been developed into a fully-fledged community that makes the workers feel at home. The differentiators include:
• The 'Al Muntazah' recreational area, in the heart of the Pearl GTL Village, includes sports fields (cricket, football, basketball, softball and tennis), an outdoor movie theatre, food stalls, shops, Internet cafes, places of worship and shaded seating areas.
• Across the Village, there is a workforce of over 1,800 to keep everything up and running, including almost 500 cleaners and over 1,000 kitchen staff. In addition, there are medical facilities, and there is a welfare team including qualified counsellors.
• An overall management team, led by a Village Mayor in place to ensure that consistent operational and welfare standards are applied across Pearl GTL Village.
The entire village is supported by infrastructure facilities that include a sewage system, combined potable water and fire water system, power distribution throughout the camp supplied initially by 84 diesel generators and later by a 33kv direct feed from a new Kahramaa substation, a telecommunications network for both voice and data for the entire camp, common recreational facilities, a waste water treatment plant equivalent to that needed for a small town to process sewage from the camp, roads and fencing.
