Shell's latest project is about to take the 'work' out of work camps.

With plans to include an indoor ice hockey rink, a baseball field, gymnasium, running track and a workout facility in its new Albian Village project, the traditional work camp is about to evolve.

This all-inclusive development, designed to accommodate tradespeople and management personnel for Shell's Athabasca oil sands project (AOSP) upstream expansion No. 1 north of Fort McMurray, will mean that Shell will be able to house close to 2,500 construction workers onsite.

"This will be the first (work camp) on this scale," says Janet Annesley, manager of public affairs for Shell Canada Ltd.'s oilsands operations. "We're in a global competition for skilled labour. We looked at a number of factors to attract skilled workers to our project. Compensation is one, others are site safety and quality of life."

Illustration courtesy of Atco Structures
Shell's latest project is about to take the 'work' out of work camps.

The village, to be located 10 kilometres southeast of Shell's existing Muskeg River Mine, will accommodate 800 people in the first phase and in a second phase will be expanded to house another 1,660, for a total of 2,460.

In addition to the rink, baseball field and the other recreational amenities there will be a lounge, lecture hall and dining area.

Rooms will include flat-panel televisions, double beds and the majority will have semi-private bathrooms - meaning it is only shared with one other room. As workers will be on shift rotations, the goal is to try and stagger the accommodations so that the two people sharing a bathroom facility will be on opposite rotations.

The village will also help to ease the burden that burgeoning oilsands development is having on neighbouring Fort McMurray.

Despite some 5,800 new dwelling units that are expected to come online by about 2009, there will still be a major housing shortfall, says Melissa Blake, mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes Fort McMurray.

Even though the municipality has appeared before the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board to make its plight known - stating that the rapid pace of recent oilsands development has not allowed it to properly develop the required infrastructure - Blake says "we don't really tell businesses how to do business."

She adds she is relatively neutral on this portion of the housing issue.

"We need to look at the nature of the work," says Blake. "If it's for a construction workforce, typically a mobile workforce, it makes sense.

"On the other hand, if these people have permanent direct employment on an ongoing basis, we'd like to have them live in the community in appropriate housing with all that our community has to offer."

Meanwhile, Shell has awarded contracts to Calgary-based Atco Structures Inc. to build both the first and second phases of the village.

Atco Structures' contract includes turnkey services such as the delivery, installation and distribution of site services (electrical, water, gas and sewer), supply of the external recreational facilities, parking, lighting and fencing.

Subcontractor Clark Builders, headquartered in Edmonton, will complete part of the village design including the core building.

Part of the Atco Group of Companies, Atco Structures has manufactured, sold and leased workforce housing and modular buildings since 1947 in more than 100 countries.

Manufacturing of the modules required for Phase 1 started in Calgary this summer. The units will then be transported to the site by truck and installed, with completion scheduled for first quarter of 2007. Manufacturing of the modules for Phase 2 will begin this fall, with the units scheduled to be installed in the third quarter of 2007. Once completed, the permanent, multi-storey facility will exceed 500 housing modules.

"Each dorm complex in this first phase is made up of 24 boxes, each three storeys high. They're put together like Lego blocks - eight on the bottom, eight in the middle and eight on top," says Joe Cosgrove, Atco Structures' manager for the Albian Village project. "It sounds easy, but it's a lot of work to make sure all the electrical (equipment) works and that everything is hooked up. It becomes a logistical issue."

The modules come off the Calgary assembly line fully finished, with beds in the appropriate sections and shower curtains already on the shower stall.

"Working with Shell and their partners, we have designed Albian Village to provide a higher level of comfort and amenities for the people working at this remote location," says Michael Shaw, managing director of global enterprises for Atco Group and president of Atco Structures Inc. "These are permanent structures; they will be there for a number of years.

"They're built for a 25-year life span, so Shell has the availability of these over the next number of years as they move forward with any future plans they may have."

Shell anticipates that its Albian Village will have a life span of at least 15 years.

"These assets can last a long time. There are still camps built in the '80s that are in service in other areas of Canada," says Annesley.

The first phase of Shell's AOSP will mean the plant will be able to produce 300,000 barrels per day, but the long-term goal is to bring that number up to 500,000 barrels per day, says Annesley. Having a completed village on hand will solve yet-to-come housing needs for construction crews, he adds.

"We would also use it (Albian Village) for operational contractors as well. Every three to five years, we have to conduct major planned maintenance. We just had our first major turnaround this summer with 1,200 people onsite," says Annesley. ("In the future) we could potentially use it for maintenance worker accommodation as well."

Shell also says it likes the upgraded village concept, as it enables workers to remain on site and reduces any commute time that they would face if they were able to find housing in Fort McMurray.

"A key consideration in developing our construction workforce strategy was how we could develop and best provide a fit for the community," says Annesley.

"Albian Village is designed to be self-contained so we don't place an undue burden on area infrastructure, and by keeping the workforce in a small area we can improve our safety performance and improve the quality of life for the workers."

(Laura Severs can be reached at laura@businessedge.ca)