Tales of the Bedouin – Part XXIX: Tracing the Path to Shaybah–Before the Mega-Project

© Mark Lowey 2023. All rights reserved.

In this piece, Aramco’s legendary desert expert, Quriyan Al Hajri, describes the early stages of the Shaybah project and his experiences exploring deep into the Rub Al Khali to determine the best access route for what would become the Shaybah Mega-Project.

As told to author, Mark Lowey.

Early Days

“Shaybah,” the name given to the area of massive, red-hued sand dunes by the Bedouin herdsmen, means "old man" in Arabic.

“Back in 1995,” explains Quriyan Al Hajri, “the Shaybah Project was in the proposal stage and not yet approved by Aramco management. ^[1] In those days there were no asphalt roads in the area, and the existing skid road ^[2] and desert trails were rough and dangerous paths through the desert, around huge sand dunes and over sabkha flats. Oil wells were drilled at Shaybah starting in 1967 but, only recently, had drilling technologies advanced enough to make a major crude oil production facility in Shaybah economically feasible.”  

Shaybah is deep in the Empty Quarter. Navigating that area required skillful local knowledge of the terrain. “My first trip there was in March 1995,” said Quriyan, “when I escorted three Aramco managers who were eager to see the area and excited at the prospect of a new Mega Project at Shaybah. I drove a blue GMC Suburban 4x4 Saudi Aramco vehicle, number EW2184,” his keen memory recalling even the most mundane of details.

The Suburban. “Sometimes slept on a folding cot next to my vehicle.”

“The distance between Abqaiq and Shaybah was approximately 750 kilometers. Our route was southward through Hofuf and down to Al Batha, the checkpoint at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) border. From Al Batha we headed southeast roughly following the straight-line-through-the-desert Saudi-UAE border. The drive there took a day and a half. After two days of sightseeing the Aramco chiefs were satisfied, and we retraced our steps back to Abqaiq.”

Route Surveys

A few weeks later, in April, Quriyan was asked to return to Shaybah and lead an eight-man team to determine the best route for a haul road that would be required for Aramco to transport equipment and materials to the Shaybah construction jobsite. “In addition to selecting the route,” he said, “We needed to identify sources of water and marl (a mixture of clay and silt) that would be required for construction of the haul road.^[3] The team was one guy from the Wellsites Inspection Unit, four from transportation, two bulldozer operators, and me. We were all Saudis.”

To caravan through the desert with sufficient provisions and equipment was a major undertaking. “Our fleet of vehicles included a massive Kenworth tractor that towed a large trailer and a white portable (modular unit on wheels) that was our kitchen,” said Quriyan. “The Kenworth’s trailer contained two dozers, supplies and equipment and four live sheep. Another vehicle stored our foodstuffs such as chicken, rice and fruit. We had two 10,000-gallon tanker trucks, one for sweet water and the other for diesel fuel. I drove one of two blue GMC pickup trucks and my Wellsites colleague had a red 4x4 Landcruiser.”

The trek through the desert was arduous, and the team soon fell into a daily routine. “When each day of hard work was done, we enjoyed good food around a campfire and slept in sleeping bags under the stars. Every four days, or so, we would kill one of the sheep and have a delicious rice khabsa dinner. We often cooked Arab flat bread, Khubz, in the sand under the coals of the fire.”^[4]

Before the trip, Quriyan had decided he should record moments of this journey from time to time. “I documented the survey with videos taken with a Panasonic video camera purchased in Al Khobar for SR 3,000 (USD $800) in 1992. Below are some clips from the videos.”

Two Routes

The April 1995 survey began at Salwa, the small settlement at the Saudi-Qatar border. “For three weeks,” said Quriyan, “we methodically moved along two possible routes. One from Salwa, and the other from Al Batha. We marked the route with slender wooden posts driven into the sand. The route from Salwa was 500 kilometers and the one from Al Batha, 386 kilometers. Both routes shared the final 300-kilometer approach to Shaybah.”

“I returned to Abqaiq at the end of April to prepare my report and recommendations,” said Quriyan. “I identified several marl deposits and sabkha areas where groundwater could be found. Aramco management selected the shorter route from Al Batha and accepted my recommendations for sourcing water and marl.”

With the route and recommendations approved, Aramco management was eager for the work to begin. “Construction of the haul road commenced in November 1995,” said Quriyan. “Four construction companies worked simultaneously to complete the road in 18 months. One year later, drilling works and a processing facility were completed, as well as the pipeline to Abqaiq Plants. By July 1998 Shaybah oil production went online.”

Meet the Engineers

Back to 1995. By September of that year, a basic airstrip had been prepared with compacted marl on a large stretch of sabkha. “Back then,” recalled Quriyan, “Aramco used Fokker 27 aircraft for flights to remote desert locations because they could land almost anywhere. One of the first flights to Shaybah was to carry a team of engineers for a one-day survey of oil drilling operations. I was assigned to drive to Shaybah and receive the engineers who would be flying down from Dhahran.”

“Due to staff shortages and the assignment’s sudden urgency, I had to make this trip by myself,” said Quriyan. Keenly aware that traveling alone on a long desert journey is never advisable, Quriyan and his supervisors devised a careful travel plan. “I traveled well-stocked and well-equipped, and, importantly, I contacted my boss twice a day by radio to report my condition and location. Plus, I carried a satellite phone in case of emergency.” With these precautions solidly in place, he started the long drive to Shaybah.

“After 18 hours driving, I arrived in Shaybah on September 15^th around 9 p.m.,” recalled Quriyan. “I was exhausted, and the area was deserted with no one in sight.” The plane was due to arrive the following morning.

“I took my sleeping mattress and climbed one of the now famous Shaybah dunes to its highest point in search of a cooler place to sleep and to avoid scorpions that normally reside in shrubs and vegetation at the foot of the dunes,” said Quriyan, sharing his survival knowledge of desert flora and fauna.

The Shaybah dunes can reach 250 meters high (820 feet) and are known as Al Ka’ad, (sitting or seated) which means they are largely stationary and do not travel like dunes in other desert areas. Only the very top portions of the dunes change shape when impacted by winds.

Surprise Neighbors

“I woke before dawn for the Fajr prayer,” said Quriyan. “Suddenly, upon completing my prayers, I was surprised to hear a human voice in the distance singing the call to prayer. Remember, I believed that no person was around. I pulled out my compact binoculars and scanned the area to the west. To my astonishment, I saw a group of men in a hollow below a dune finishing their prayers and gathering around a campfire. I hastened towards them, and they greeted me with enthusiasm.”

These unlikely neighbors in the vast desert were a group of six men from Saudi Aramco’s transportation department. They had been conducting a survey 300 km southeast of Shaybah in an area called Ardah, near the Omani border. Today, they would continue their return journey.

Quriyan welcomed this purely chance encounter and the unexpected comradery after his long solo trip. “They served me coffee and tea and invited me to join them for a lovely breakfast. They wanted to know what brought me to this area, and I shared with them the impending arrival of Aramco engineers. The transportation group bid farewell and departed on their journey back to Dhahran. Once again, I was alone in the desert waiting for the Fokker 27 to arrive.”

Engineers Delayed

“As God Almighty would choose, that morning was foggy with very poor visibility of not more than one kilometer,” recalled Quriyan about the weather conditions that day. “This was a terrible situation as the aircraft was unlikely to land under such conditions. I remained hopeful until around 8 a.m. when I received a communication from the pilot by VHF long-distance two-way radio. He was en route, halfway through the 90-minute flight from Dhahran to Shaybah, and inquired about the weather and wind direction. I told him everything I could about the conditions, trying to sound upbeat and optimistic about his ability to land safely. However, it was no surprise when he told me it was unsafe to land and promptly changed his course and headed back to Dhahran.”

There was nothing to do but bide his time. “So, I stayed another night on the dune. The next day the weather had cleared, and the wind was calm. The Fokker landed safely, I escorted the Aramco engineers to their worksite, they completed their work and were back in the Fokker for a 3 p.m. departure.” As far as the Aramco engineers were concerned, the trip to Shaybah was successful. Quriyan could now head back to Abqaiq.  

Back to Abqaiq – Bedouin No. 1

“My return journey to Abqaiq would prove to be far more difficult than the outbound trip two days earlier,” said Quriyan. “I further decreased the air pressure in my tires and felt confident in the trusted Suburban 4x4. 170 kilometers west of Shaybah, the sands became softer and more challenging to navigate. The soft sands are called rabathat.” Quriyan knew this rabathat could be dangerous and proceeded cautiously. He did not want to get trapped in the soft sand.  

“While driving, I encountered a lone Bedouin, an Emirati, whose vehicle, unfortunately, had become stuck in the soft sand, “said Quriyan. “He had been trying to round up his herd of some 100 camels who were now scattered about, some of them more than a kilometer away. I stopped to assist and freed his truck using a sling wire connected to my Suburban. His truck was very deep in the sand but, at last, I pulled it back on the surface. I shared some of my water and food with him – dates and leftover khabsa. He was anxious to gather his camels, and I was satisfied that he would be safe, so I resumed my journey.”

Bedouin No. 2

“After driving another fifty kilometers, I came across another Bedouin, also an Emirati, who had been stranded for two days. He was about one kilometer from the main track and, fortunately, I noticed him desperately waving to attract my attention. When I reached him, he was relieved but looked very tired and hungry. He had run out of food and water.” He had wisely followed another survival rule of the desert – when stuck, stay with your vehicle.

His vehicle would not start due to a dead battery. “I helped re-charge his battery with the jumper cables I carried with me. As his vehicle’s engine ran to charge the battery, I shared dates and water with him. I had very little rice left, so I built a fire, prepared dough with flour, salt and water, and cooked Arab flatbread, Khubz, right there in the sand.”^[4]

“He was grateful and soon revived. He told me he was going to continue in the other direction to meet a friend who was encamped around fifty kilometers away. I insisted that he join me and not travel alone in the desert as he was likely to get stuck again with his faulty battery. At first, he refused but I told him it was too dangerous to proceed.”

 “Wallah (I swear)” I exclaimed, “I cannot leave you here,” said Quriyan firmly, for he knew that the recharged battery was not strong and would eventually falter again. “You must follow me to Salwa and get your truck fixed,” reasoned Quriyan. “Finally, he was convinced, and we carried on to a gas station in Salwa, approximately 300 kilometers from where I met him.” The tandem journey to Salwa took eight hours to complete.

Aramco Desert Safety

Aramco always sets the safety of its employees at the heart of anything it does. With the help of employees like Quriyan, whose specialized knowledge of the desert provided an integral part of the foundation for Aramco’s extensive knowledge base, the company was able to move safely and successfully to expand its operations into the unexplored regions of the Empty Quarter. 

As Quriyan contemplated those early days of Shaybah, he grew philosophical. “I learned a lot from that September trip. I am the son of the desert and learned much from my father and from growing up and living in this environment,” he said. “I learned many more lessons while working remotely for several companies early in my career. Survival depends on being constantly aware that there are many hazards that can be encountered in such a beautiful yet harsh environment.”

“During my career at Aramco, I was able to transfer some of my desert knowledge to the company and help develop procedures and policies to ensure safety in the desert. Below I have listed critical points for navigating the desert.

I conclude with this simple rule, “Think how to get out before going in.”

References

[1] Shaybah https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaybah

Oil was discovered with Shaybah Well No. 1 in 1967, and 30 vertical field delineation wells had been drilled by 1974. However, due to the very large number of wells required to achieve a minimum capacity of 250,000 bd of commercial production, the field was not developed at that time. Starting in 1993 with the advent of extended reach horizontal wells and geo-steering in Saudi Aramco, a detailed evaluation of the productivity of horizontal wells was carried out in Shaybah field. The program confirmed that average well productivities would be increased from 500 bd in vertical wells to over 5,000 bd in horizontal wells, without incurring gas or water coning.

The improvement in well productivities allowed a change in project scope from 500 oil wells to deliver 250,000 bd of capacity to 140 oil and associated gas injection wells to deliver 550,000 bd of capacity. This change reduced the budgeted capital cost (by half) allowing the Saudi Aramco management, in 1995, to approve the Shaybah field development ahead of other projects in Ghawar.

Shaybah oil production began in 1998 with 250,000 bd. Additional drilling and oil and gas processing capacity allowed the Shaybah field capacity to be increased in 2010 to 750,000 bd and to 1 million bd in 2016, including NGL recovery from the associated gas and a dedicated NGL pipeline to the Abqaiq plants.

A 386 km road had to be built across the dunes followed by a large landing strip to accommodate cargo jets. A central processing facility includes three gas oil separation plants, a gas compression plant, water desalination, housing facilities for 1,000 men, a library, swimming pool, and gymnasium. A 645-kilometer high-pressure pipeline connects the field with Abqaiq, and from there it connects into the network to the Ras Tanura and Juaymah export terminals.

[2] Skid Road. Compacted, single-lane desert tracks leading to remote oil-drilling locations. Used to transport drilling rigs and support equipment.

[3] Road construction using marl and water from Sabkha. (Source, Quriyan Al Hajri.)

Marl is a white powdery clay and silt mixture found in deposits around the Saudi desert. Sabkha, or salt flat, exists over shallow, salty groundwater table. This groundwater, when mixed with marl and left to dry results in a hard, durable surface suitable for a heavy equipment haul road.

[4] Arab Flatbread – Sand Bread. On the Flatbread Trail, Aramco World 1995 https://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue/199505/on.the.flatbread.trail.htm

A low-tech nomadic flatbread technique, probably of ancient origin, is used by Bedouin to bake unleavened flatbreads by burying them in the hot sand and embers beneath a fire. They mix flour, salt and water and need no utensils to make this ideal desert-travel food.

Even today, Quriyan is fond of making bread in the traditional way. Below are photos of Quriyan making sand bread.

 

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