1. This is the empty quarter. The Rub Al-Khali . A Windswept wasteland covering 1/4 of the
2. This is the world's largest sand desert. 250,000 square miles of shifting dunes. Many as high as a 1000 feet. Delineated by subcrack ???? meandering like dry lake beds in canyons of sand.
3. For centuries, only Bedouin ventured here. Men who could read the sand, the stars and the wind. Special skills passed down through generations.
4. But in the dawn of the 21st century, a new breed entered the Empyt Quarter.
5. Men with skills developed through years of experience. Men united in the values and goals of an enterprise formed of the desert. The Saudi Arabian Oil Company.
6. For over 60 years Saudi Aramco pioneered desert exploration.
7. Since the first oil discovery in 1938 the company has depended on determination and ingenuity to overcome the Kingdom's harsh climate and geography.
8. In the early days conditions were difficult.
9. Sometimes impossible, but despite hardships the company moved forward building on experience, adapting to meet new and unexpected conditions.
10. In 1968 a vast reserve of high quality of Arab extra-light crude oil was discovered in the northeast sector of the Rub Al-Khali (
11. This became known as the 'Shaybah Field'.
12. By 1994 the advancement of computer and engineering technology made it possible for Saudi Aramco to proceed with plans to develop Shayba's vast potential.
13. The Shaybah project would be the most ambitious of its kind ever attempted requiring the designing and planning of 3 gas oil separation plants.
14. More than a 100 high tech horizontal wells . Over 600 kilometers of pipeline. A residential camp. A fully equipped airfield. And in Abqaiq, the crude oil receiving facility required a major upgrade to accommodate Shayba production.
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15. A group of international companies were recruited and under the leadership of Saudi Aramco professionals planning began.
16. In the meantime, drilling had already started. This was a major challenge in itself relying on the constant cross-country transport of equipment, fuel and materials.
17. In anticipation of future logistical requirements, survey parties were sent out to map a road 400 kilometers between the border town of
18. Construction was divided among 3 contractors. 2 Saudia Arabian companies and one based in
19. The 3 road sections covered three types of terrain, each with its own characteristics and problems.
20. Like an invading army, men and machines burst upon the peaceful desert.
21. Giant trucks carried impossible loads over the dunes. Hundreds of pieces of heavy equipment were hauled into the desert, not to mention the vast fleet of support and transport vehicles.
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22. Road camps were constructed, each able to feed and house up to a 1000 men.
23. A temporary airstrip was established to transport men, material and supplies.
24. In less than a year through careful planning and outstanding logistical support 400 kilometers of usable road had been completed.
25. Saudi Aramco's experience had paid off. Now a constant stream of materials and supplies from east coast ports to the desert construction site.
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