Most of those that worked in East Antarctic camps during the summer would retreat to Davis for the winter, and spend over 4 months living here in winter quarters like this one. Most Antarcticans had a summer job and a winter job and Davis had many winter jobs. Tunnels lead in three directions to much of the rest of the city.
Today was all about oil, perhaps the last producing oil wells in the world. Drilled by the Australians, eight wells still produced a trickle of what once ran the world. It was hard to imagine the world that the history books, with their pictures, described. And how shortages of oil then lead to so much carnage. So she as secretly excited to see what was left of this magic liquid.
The tram brought them almost door to door to the "Oil Refinery". As she entered the building she saw a battered and faded old metal sign that read, after a bit of looking "Exxon-Chevron-BP Energy Company". Odd. I wonder what it means. She was staring at the sign as she was being introduced. She quickly brought her focus back to the standard welcome statements.
She was then brought into the production area where the crude oil was stored and then carefully distilled into hundreds of chemicals, each with a specific use. Many chemicals distilled from crude oil were used as is. Most, though, were transformed by a simple chemical process into a useful chemical, plastic or lubricant. more later
They then took the tram to the train station and her Presidential Train. They went over 100 km through wilderness to an opening in the forest. There a beam rocked back and forth, at a slow steady beat.
"This is our most productive well - over a thousand liters of oil per day !" exclaimed the guide.
more later
No comments:
Post a Comment