Oil and gas industries commonly work in remote locations which require building facilities for their operations. While the traditional construction method is an option, it's not always practical. As a solution, these industries use modular buildings.

Fabric buildings are engineered modular structures designed to withstand harsh weather conditions. They are made with aircraft-grade aluminum and steel framing, ensuring durability and longevity. These structures are also flexible in terms of designs and functions, making them suitable for oil and gas companies' operations anywhere in the world.

Here are seven uses of fabric buildings in the oil and gas industry.

Workforce Camps

When operating in remote locations, the company provides workers' accommodation. Ensuring the workers' safety and comfort while staying onsite is necessary to keep the operations going.

Fabric buildings are excellent for modular workers' camps. It includes sleeping quarters, cafeterias, showers, locker rooms, and areas for leisure like fitness centers and movie theaters. These structures are equipped with Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, lighting, and electrical connections. They are also properly insulated, suitable for extreme cold or hot regions.

Since oil and gas extraction is commonly done in inhabitable regions like the arctic, oilfield buildings require robust qualities. Fabric structures are the best option for exploration, well drilling, and extraction due to their strength, durability, and fast building time.

Utility Building

A mine site's utility building is the center of the operation. It gives centralized access to essentials such as electricity, water, and telecommunications. Keeping these utilities in one area enables ease of control and troubleshooting.

An insulated fabric building is an excellent option to house oil and gas company's utilities. For upstream oil industries, the exploration process is always uncertain. Therefore, building a temporary structure that can be disassembled and transported to another site when needed is wiser.

Equipment Housing

Some integrated oil and gas companies work on upstream and midstream processes These processes involve exploration, extraction, processing, storing, and transportation. This means more equipment and a larger workforce are needed.

Fabric buildings feature a wide-span architecture providing a vast, unobstructed interior space. This structure type is suitable for covering large equipment in oil and gas extraction and processing. Moreover, they serve as equipment protection from harsh weather conditions. These modular structures can be built around the drilling rig to provide a safe place for workers.

Remote Offices

Integrated oil and gas companies need offices onsite to keep things running. Therefore, building a modular admin building is necessary to provide safe and accessible office space.

Insulated fabric buildings are ideal for remote offices. While some companies choose shipping containers, fabric structures are far quicker and cheaper to build. Since you can purchase a ready-made design, you can skip the planning and customization process.

Another great advantage of fabric buildings for remote offices is the integrated HVAC system. This feature allows total control of the temperature and ventilation of the building, providing comfort for workers even in the desert or the arctic. Fabric buildings also have windows that allow utilization of natural light during the day, which is an excellent energy-saver.

Storage Facilities

Fabric building's wide-span architecture allows various industries to maximize the interior space for storage. For oil and gas companies, maximum storage spaces are necessary.

From exploration to processing, oil and gas industries need vast storage spaces for heavy equipment and vehicles. Aircraft-grade fabric buildings are ideal for this function due to the extensive floor space and rigid structure. Furthermore, fabric buildings are also ideal for starting oil processing companies. Since they are quick and easy to build, you can save from construction costs. Plus, each structure can last up to 25 years.

Covered Parking Site

Whether you need a fully covered vehicle parking or a simple roofed structure, fabric buildings are the best options since the need for further expansion is possible. In this case, fabric buildings provide more flexibility.

You may choose an uninsulated fabric building for covered parking and vehicle storage. However, it still depends on the weather conditions on-site. If it's too cold or hot, properly insulated buildings are recommended.

First-Aid Clinics

All worksites require first-aid clinics to ensure workers' health and safety. For remote locations, this is highly crucial. And for decades, tents have been commonly used for first-aid response in remote places. However, simple tents don't provide ample protection from the weather since they are not insulated.

Fabric buildings are an excellent solution since they are insulated and equipped with an HVAC system. In addition, fabric buildings for first-aid clinics provide an electrical wiring system for health equipment. This enables faster and more efficient emergency response to possible health emergencies in the workplace.

Conclusion

Fabric buildings are a flexible and practical option for oil and gas infrastructures. These engineered modular structures can withstand harsh weather conditions, are easier to build, and have less expensive materials. Most importantly, it provides a safe space for industries to keep exploring and working to provide public access to natural resources.