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WIRED
(above): AB Andrew Toal, of HMAS Ballarat, ties electrical
wires on the Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal (KAAOT). A team
of Navy electricians rewired several buildings to make life
safer and more convenient for sailors stationed on the platform.
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Volume 49, No. 12, July 13, 2006
By
US Journalist 2nd Class Cassandra Thompson
Sailors
from HMAS Ballarat carried out some much-needed electrical upgrades
to the US Navy and Iraqi marine living facilities on the Khawr
al Amaya Oil Terminal (KAAOT) last month.
Before
the upgrades, to use the oven, US personnel had to turn off the
washing machine. To use the washing machine, they had to turn
off lights; and to use the lights, they would sacrifice one of
their air conditioning units.
The
Ballarat sailors visited KAAOT over the course of two weeks, assessing
what work and materials were required to improve the wiring matrix
in the kitchen, lounge and berthing areas. During a port visit
to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, they acquired the necessary
materials and began work aboard the platform.
RAN
Petty Officer Gordon Anderson led the team of Australian electricians
assigned to the project and said it was full of challenges.
“We’re
not in our normal locale, so trying to get the material was difficult.
The language barrier was a big problem, and of course, trying
to translate what I needed into what they had, gave us some problems.
It took a couple of days, but we eventually got all the material,”
PO Anderson said.
“The
job itself was challenging because there were a lot of safety
violations with what had originally been installed. We had to
concentrate on rectifying those first, as well as providing a
proper system so the guys here had what they needed. And, we had
a very limited time frame to do the work in.”
The
Aussies not only had to rewire several buildings, but install
new cables that could handle a larger electrical current. They
also installed a new switch board and secured electrical cables
that used to trail the ground to overhead beams.
LT
Mark Ellis, KAAOT’s officer in charge, said the electrical
overhaul was not a unique gesture. He said HMAS Ballarat has consistently
contributed to the quality of life on the oil platforms.
“We’re
very grateful to them,” he said. “The Australians have
come out here on numerous occasions just to make improvements.”
