The forgotten town of black gold

A lonely life

PetroChina staff endure the loneliness and boredom of working that come with working in the Tarim oilfields. [Photo by Cui Meng / China Daily]

Dibei 102 is Wei Kan's first experience on a platform, and probably his last. His blue helmet indicates that he's a trainee drilling technician. The qualified workers wear red. The 25 year old said the loneliness is killing him.

Wei arrived at the platform in May 2012 after his graduation from Southwest Petroleum University in Chengdu, Sichuan province. "I think I chose the wrong career. Oil is always located in isolated areas with harsh conditions, and we can only work where oil is found. I don't think I can bear the boredom any longer."

He was concerned that the nature of his work and the long absences it entails will prompt his girlfriend to end their relationship, a feeling fostered by a recent episode of a famous TV dating show: "The male contestant was also a drilling engineer. Before he revealed his occupation, all the girls were interested in him. However, as soon as he said his work requires him to be away from home for long periods of time, the girls all changed their minds."

Although Wei is granted 45 days leave after each three-month stint, he said it's not enough because he needs to spend more time with his girlfriend. "The poor mobile phone reception makes communication between the two of us almost non-existent. Sometimes there is no signal at all. There is nothing to see or do. I feel trapped," he sighed.

When the mobile phone network is down - a regular occurrence -the workers rely on a satellite phone in Li's office to contact the outside world.

Life is tough and some workers simply fail to return after their break, said Li. "The hard work is one reason for them to leave. Being cut off from civilization is another."

Li once met a couple of hikers in the mountains who said they envied his isolated lifestyle: "I thought they were crazy. I want to see tall buildings and listen to the noise of traffic every day."

Wei said he will quit his job soon. "Well, that's what I told myself when I first started, but look at me now," Li laughed. "Attitude is very important. What we do can be quite rewarding. You just need to discover the fun, just like discovering oil," he advised.

The complicated geology of the Tarim Basin, a combination of mountains and the Gobi desert, makes it one of the world's most difficult places to drill.

"It's not easy to drill straight in mountainous areas and at an altitude of between 2,500 and 2,700 meters. Also, the temperature in the well can easily reach 180 C, which presents a challenge for the equipment," he said. "We have made many discoveries in recent years, but we're still waiting for technology that will enable us to reach them."

Hu said the oil exploration team has the most challenging and difficult job. "Oil geologists are truly wild men. They ride camels and live in caves and tents, while the drilling team stays in mobile homes. At least the extraction team can monitor everything from the comfort of modern control rooms."

"Some people say their eyes couldn't bear a single grain of sand, but the eyes of Tarim oil workers can stand as much sand as comes along," he joked.

Despite the discovery of new, albeit limited, oil reserves, Yiqikelike will continue to sleep and become a playground for local wild animals such as Mongolian gazelles and wolves. Modern technology has changed the way oilfields operate and reduces the need for large numbers of workers. They will never recover the dynamism of those long-gone days.

The Dina operational zone, about 1 kilometer from the old oil town, was established in 2009. As the most-recent zone of operations in the Tarim oilfield, it is part of a pilot program designed to keep the number of operational staff to a minimum and maximize the level of automation.

"We have just 53 workers to monitor oil and gas production. The zone produces 1,500 metric tons of oil and 16 million cubic meters of natural gas every day, which means it ranks second among Tarim's 10 operating zones," said Wang Kaiguo, Party secretary. "For the new generation of oil workers, the old oil town is just a reminder of the spirit and determination of the past, which will never change."

Local people and donkeys sometimes pass by the desert Yiqikelike. [Photo by Cui Meng / China Daily]