#  >  > Non Asia Travel Forums >  >  > Travel the World Travellers Tales Forum >  >  Sakhalin snowy work

## rebbu

I've been working in Sakhalin, island Russian federation on and off for the last  six years.
The weather can get unbelievably cold and it's snow for about five months of the year. It started snowing heavy toady and I got to looking back through some old pics



Here's A Tucker snow cat. This is used for cross country crossing in the winter. It's also a rescue rig.




Here's an idea of the amount of snow fall.




The coldest temperature I seen recorded here is -58.

I'll post some more tomorrow. It's steak night tonight in the camp and I got to make sure I get in front of the locals.

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## alwarner

Nice pics, more please.

Green sent.

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## CNF55

^ Same here.

Looking forward to more photos and info - it got the potential of a great thread similar to beerlaodrinker's mining thread.

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## alwarner

That pic of the snowfall (standing on the truck) is mental.  Got to be what, 10 or 11ft?

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## Necron99

> That pic of the snowfall (standing on the truck) is mental.  Got to be what, 10 or 11ft?




And it's summer.

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## alwarner

No wonder the natives turn to Vodka.

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## aging one

Keep the pictures and commentary coming, the makings of a great thread.

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## rebbu

Here's one of the entrance to a Shell camp I stayed in.




Digging out the office area.

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## Cujo

What do you do there?
Hope the pay's good.

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## somtamslap

> Here's one of the entrance to a Shell camp I stayed in.


 Hope you wore your long-johns. Looks nice n snug. Nips of voddie to keep you warm?

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## rebbu

> What do you do there?
> Hope the pay's good.


I'm construction manager/project manager, depending on the project. Pay is very good.

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## thailazer

We feel your pain.  It was down to 16 C here this morning in Northern Thailand.

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## Bobcock

Come across a Scottish Piping guy called Greg Elder?

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## rebbu

> Come across a Scottish Piping guy called Greg Elder?


No mate.

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## rebbu

The series of pics above was captured after the Turkish sub-contractor toppled over their crane. The were lifting a small fire fighting module into a live process area. The twat operator couldn't reach the landing area. In his infinite kebab munching wisdom he derided to get closer to the fence by pulling in his out-riggers. Scary part was the tank he nearly hit was full of diesel.

You can see the tank in the right hand side of this pic


Very lucky that there wasn't a few hundred thousand liters of diesel on the deck.

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## Satonic

Great thread  :Smile:  Thanks for taking the time to share.

I miss snow!

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## rebbu

> We feel your pain.  It was down to 16 C here this morning in Northern Thailand.


Balmy, It hasn't got cold here as of yet. Only -1 today.

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## rebbu

> Originally Posted by rebbu
> 
> Here's one of the entrance to a Shell camp I stayed in.
> 
> 
>  Hope you wore your long-johns. Looks nice n snug. Nips of voddie to keep you warm?


When I worked for Shell we could have a drink at night time. Two bars on site and a night club on Saturdays. 
I'm working for Exxon now. NO DRINK ALLOWED!!!

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## rebbu

> That pic of the snowfall (standing on the truck) is mental.  Got to be what, 10 or 11ft?


Easy. Last year we got hit with a typhoon that lasted ten days. It hit our camp and that was it. No outside, confined to the living quarters for ten poxy days. It was like The shinning after three days. Couldn't even see at the windows. I was nearly climbing the walls.

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## rebbu

Here's a map of the offending island

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## rebbu

The train from Yuzhno the largest city in Sakhalin to Nogliki station.

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## aging one

When I see that map my age shows, I always think of the Korean Airlines 747 the Russians shot down over Sakhalin.  :Smile:   Keep the photos and commentary coming.

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## rebbu

A few pics of an off-shore pipeline remediation job I was on this summer.

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## rebbu

One of the boys after som-tam

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## rebbu

Marsh buggy.
We used these for backfilling a pipeline. They could travel through 2.5 meters of water

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## rebbu



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## rebbu

Nut jobs cleaning roofs in Yuzhno.

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## rebbu

View from a hotel window

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## rebbu

Same window looking south

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## rebbu

The temperature is dropping steadily now. This is the forecast for the next few days as of today

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## rebbu

One of the platforms

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## Cujo

> The temperature is dropping steadily now. This is the forecast for the next few days as of today


Fuck that for a game of soldiers.

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## Imminent

Great pics. Interesting to be working in place like that. I would guess there's a lot of natural resources out there yet to be discovered.

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## rebbu

Flying in to Okha on the way back from X-mas hols. Booooo.

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## rebbu

Baggage handling Russian style.

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## rebbu

One of the off-shore choppers.

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## rebbu

The back entrance to Okha airport.

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## rebbu

Some snaps of the road to work

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## rebbu



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## rebbu

A Kamaz all terrain crew bus.

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## rebbu



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## rebbu

Bloody cold here today. I'm feeling the temperature change between Thailand and here now.

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## rebbu

> Great pics. Interesting to be working in place like that. I would guess there's a lot of natural resources out there yet to be discovered.


There's plenty of oil n gas here. The wildlife is amazing also. Bears, Deer and the fishing is supposedly some of the best in the world.

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## sunsetter

> I miss snow!


lunatic!!

great thread, keep it coming



bloody hell!! you work with nedwalk  :Very Happy:

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## Bower

Excellent thread, Thanks

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## rebbu

We're getting lashed with a gale at the moment. The owner/operator has a winter three flag system here. 
Green= No problem, get to work. 
Yellow= non essential inside work only. Small sigh of relief from dirty arsed contractors. 
Red= Lazy b@stard contractors get to bed on full pay, Oh yeah.

We are currently at yellow and everyone is in the camp waiting, breath held in anticipation of a full day off with pay.

Happy Russian Christmas.

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## rebbu

Sorry the image is so crap but it's hard taking pictures in minus f@cking stupid weather.

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## rebbu



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## rebbu

Freezing here today. I really want to go home.

Bastard money can make you go to some real shitty places.

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## rebbu

Entrance to my office the other morning after the small storm.

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## rebbu

Brilliant blue sky and cold as a witches tit.

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## CNF55

Thanks, rebbu, interesting stuff and great pics!

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## Cujo

> Thanks, rebbu, interesting stuff and great pics!


Seconded, I'm loving this thread.
And I reckon it's cold here at 10c  :smiley laughing:

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## rebbu

The temperature has gone right up the last few day's. You'd think that would be good but no. When the temperature rises we get plenty of snow.

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## rebbu

One of the local drivers.

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## rebbu



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## rebbu

Site toilets.

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## rebbu

Entrance to my favorite office, "The Smoke Shack"

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## rebbu



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## rebbu

My boots after my trek to the smoke shack.

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## rebbu



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## SEA Traveler

photos remind me of the TV show called "World's Deadliest Jobs".

nice photos.  you can keep the snow though.

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## rebbu

> photos remind me of the TV show called "World's Deadliest Jobs".
> 
> nice photos.  you can keep the snow though.


I don't particularly like snow my-self but money runs the world and I need money.

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## rebbu

Fueling the camp generators.

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## rebbu



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## rebbu

"Home" for 28 days.

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## rebbu

Staff offices/quarters.

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## rebbu

Two Kobota rough terrain vehicles.

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## rebbu



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## natalie8

Great thread rebbu! I somehow missed it the first time around. I love your pics and your video. Is that the same place that Dirk Diggler was going to go? Another Q, how do your shifts work? 28 on and 28 off or another scheme? Thanks again!

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## beerlaodrinker

fokkin informative post  rebbu, good to see how other punters fill the bank account with the purple persuaders, i wouldnt last 5 minutes in that sort of cold, never seen snow in my life ( except in the distance on top of a distant mountain) i reckon i will stick to the jungle, keep em coming please

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## rebbu

> Great thread rebbu! I somehow missed it the first time around. I love your pics and your video. Is that the same place that Dirk Diggler was going to go? Another Q, how do your shifts work? 28 on and 28 off or another scheme? Thanks again!


Thanks. Don't know much about Dirk Diggler? Seen his movie with the bloke who used to advertise the Y-fronts. Yes, it's a 28n28 rota.





> fokkin informative post rebbu, good to see how other punters fill the bank account with the purple persuaders, i wouldnt last 5 minutes in that sort of cold, never seen snow in my life ( except in the distance on top of a distant mountain) i reckon i will stick to the jungle, keep em coming please


I've worked in Thailand and Indo and I find the cold a bitch in comparison to the heat.

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## Yangrot

Hi Rebbu, Are you still in Sakhalin? I've recently started out there and stumbled across your thread. Great pics! At least I know what to expect.

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## rebbu

> Hi Rebbu, Are you still in Sakhalin? I've recently started out there and stumbled across your thread. Great pics! At least I know what to expect.


Where are you going? God help you mate. It's a fucking kip. 
Wait until you see the Noglki express.

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## rebbu

Oh and to answer your question, no I'm not. I just finished up in Thailand.

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## Yangrot

I'm based in an office in Yuzhno with occasional site visits. Shit food. Although I did discover a chinese massage shop last week, that was the only highlight. got 3 weeks left of a 7/3 rotation and looking forward to getting back to LOS.

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