Return to Bristow bases

..........Bristow Base: Kazakhstan, Central Asia.

Provision of two Bell 212 helicopters to support
OKIOC'S (Offshore Kazakhstan International
Oil Consortium) offshore exploration activities.
The contract is a joint venture between Bristow
and a local operator, Atyrau Aue Zholy, with
Bristows supplying two Bell 212s plus crews and
A.U.Z. providing a Tupolev Tu 134 plus back up. The operation is based
at Atyrau and as can be seen on the map many atlases still show the old
soviet name, Guryev.
Early drilling results have been very successful threatening to be one
of the biggest oil finds in history.

Taken June 1998, when the operation commenced,
our hangar being the big one on the right.
The airport is 30Nm from the North coast of the
Caspian Sea, about 5 miles outside town.


The hangar.
Work rota is 6 weeks on and 4 weeks off with on-site
accommodation being in the form of rented apartments
in town.



Bell 212, G-BIXV, shortly after its arrival at Atyrau.
G-BFER is the other.
Rig is about 1 hour round trip with the 212s averaging
about 60 hours per month. One aircraft is used on the
contract and the second is a standby SAR machine.

XV in V.I.P. fit ready for Presidential visit. Note the
carpet!
Eric the cat clearly approves.



Engineering staff also in V.I.P. fit ready for presidential
visit.



The Tu 134 flies from Atyrau to Budapest twice weekly
taking 3.75 hrs, plus ad-hoc internal flights for the oil
company. The operation of this aircraft is part of the
contract requirement although the maintenance is not.
Assistance is provided as required.