Qumma - From Desert to Rose (June 3rd - The CocoWalk)

[ejc]

you definetally need a marina, or small seaport

in these region the people are starting a town here only because of the trade-routes by sea...

anyhow; great looking CJ, nice eye for detail

E

[nedalezz]

REPLIES

bat: As always, thanks for the great compliments. I hope you keep enjoying what you see.

rooker1: Hehe, we could always organize a house for you by the sea. You want an old one, or one to be specifically constructed for you? Thank you for the compliments.

Jmouse: I love focusing on the details; I feel more in touch with the city that I am building when I do. I would love to see some of your cities, by the way.

paroch: Thank you. As I have stated before, I love MBEAR's Med Set, and I think it goes magnificently with the desert terrain I have. I really like the way they mix.

thundercrack83: Thanks! Obviously, as you can see, Im taking my sweet time developing the region, focusing alot on inner stories and stuff. I hope I do develop it in a reasonable time, though.

Yoman: I look forward to presenting what is next!

Nisha: Thank you! As for the school, I tried thinking of what an actual school would look like, with decent facilities. A football (soccer) pitch was a given, and so was the parking lot. It was just a matter of bringing them together in a fluid way; Im happy it worked out the way it did.

ejc: You raise a very valid point; at some point, there has to be plans for a seaport in Qumma. Currently, all the imports come by way of Western Sahara and Morocco through trucks.

[rooker1]

nedalezz, my friend.  If it's by the sea and in good condition, new or old, no matter.   
I can't wait til the next update.  Hopefully I can see my new house.

Robin   

[nova vesfalo]

Wow really great love the Green everywhere of Fursan, nice stroyline and the city layout it simple but effective ! like it

[nedalezz]

UPDATE TEN
BLACK GOLD

          Although he would never admit it, the reason Berber Dawa started investing his fortune in Qumma was for personal gains.  After the oil exploration team concluded that Qumma was sitting on huge reserves of the resource, he started throwing money into developing the region.  His projects in Fursan have been more successful than anyone could have ever predicted, with the population at the beginning of the 4th Year just over 10,000 as compared to 530 at the beginning of the 1st Year.

           Four years onwards, and Dawa's dreams are finally being realized.  After investing nearly $10 million in research alone, he began working on and constructing the site for the future oil refineries.  The area is approximately 3 hours inland from Fursan, and it is called Khaymeh, named after the nomadic tribe which wanders the area.  The road that leads from Fursan to Khaymeh (newly constructed) is trailed by high tension power lines which come from the Fursan Power Plant.

           The Khaymeh Oil Refinery has cost Dawa nearly $100 million, and although it is a relatively small one compared to the larger refineries around the world, it has been applauded as one of the cleanest, most efficient ones in existence today.  The Qumma Oil Ministry, which currently operates from the QEC Administrative Building, has begun drawing up plans to construct its own offices in Khaymeh.  As mentioned before, the QOM is a division of QEC, the governmental body of Qumma, and the Khaymeh Oil Refinery is 100% owned and operated by QEC.

           In addition to the construction of the refinery, pipelines are currently being laid out to reach the coast, where inevitably a seaport exclusively for the export of the resource will be constructed.  Railroad tracks are also being placed, believed to be leading into Fursan itself from Khaymeh.  Both projects are being handled by the QEC as well, which has seen its income and revenue jump through the roof after the opening of the Qumma National Bank. Clearly, however, it has no way of operating the Khaymeh Oil Refinery without outside backing, of which Dawa has done plenty of.

          The refinery represents Dawa and Qumma's first large-scale investment, one which could skyrocket foreign investment into the land.  Currently, any oil exports will have to go through Western Sahara or Morocco's ports, as Qumma doesn't have any of its own, but even now, the refinery is expected to turn in major income into the system. With the placement of the railroad tracks, transportation of the oil will be even easier, leading to less cost and yet more profit.

          The town of Khaymeh currently houses approximately 800 people, almost all of which are workers at the refinery. Its houses are more rugged than the ones that can be found on the coast in Fursan due to the harsher weather found inland.  It has very little in the way of anything other than residential apartments, with a few tiny stores meant to provide food and other such necessities. Temperature can reach as high as 55 degrees Celcius during the summer months from June-August in the daytime, but the winter months between November-February can see harshly cold nights, as well as moderately cold days.

          The population of Khaymeh is exclusively blue-collar workers, of which most are not native Qummans.  Most come from Mauritania, with a large number also hailing from Western Sahara.  Only approx. 15% of the workers are native Qummans, with most being former nomads who are seeking a more settled life.

          Now that the Khaymeh Oil Refinery has opened up for business, Qumma's rapid development is surely going to take another step up, but internal rivalries seem to be brewing.  With more cash on the line than ever, people are now trying to get their hands on some of the riches. Dawa has stated that the oil refinery will be used to further enhance the development of the land, but it is also no big secret that a large chunk of the income will come into his pockets.  Still, if enough of the profits can be put aside for the QEC to manage and maintain the development of Qumma, very good things can come from this.

[Yoman]

By far my favorite update, Genius, I can clearly see how its based off of those Middle eastern refineries where entire towns are constructed right next door to house workers from the region. Only thing I can suggest is I would just end the railtrack after it goes through the small yard instead of looping it.

[Jmouse]

Oh, this is a good one, nedalezz, easily the best so far.  But 131 degrees F? I felt sorry for myself when it got up to 104 F one day in August!
You are doing a sensational job on your MD.

Until next time...
Joan

[thundercrack83]

Stunning, nedalezz! Simply stunning!

[bat]

Fantastic looking Refinery, nedalezz! Great work!

[paroch]

Very nice refinery and workers town there nedelezz.  The sparseness of the surrounding terrain is fantastic.  I wish I was able to leave such large "empty" pieces of land instead of feeling the urge to fill everything in!

I hope their air con works well in the summer! 

[rooker1]

Very nice refinery.  And I like the artistic touch you added to a few of those pics.  Great work.



Robin   

[Madeira aka Constantina]

wonderful and nice terrain by the way. whoever made the lots must be quite good at it. 

[nedalezz]

REPLIES:

rooker1: A big thank you goes out to you, Robin, for linking me to the powerlines. The oil refinery would not have looked half as good as it does now with the old red Maxis lines.

nova vesfalo: Thanks! The greenery looks alot better thanks to the contrast with the terrain. Also, I have to say thanks to Jeronij for his excellent street mod. It really adds character to a town.

Yoman: Thank you. I was trying to recreate that Mid Eastern feel with the refinery, Im glad I was somewhat successful! As for the loop, I hear what you're saying, I just wanted to make the turn had means of turning around!

Jmouse: Thanks, Joan. You know during the summer months, it isnt unusual for the temperature to hit 50-55 degrees in the Gulf region, especially near Kuwait and Iraq. Thankfully, it doesnt ever get that hot in Africa, we tend to stay in the 30s!

thundercrack83: Merci! I hope you think the next updates are stunning as well.

bat: Thanks! Im glad you liked the Refinery.

paroch: Hehe, I know exactly what "urge" you are talking about! Thankfully, Im working with alot of tiles, so I take that urge elsewhere and I can afford to leave empty spaces like this!

Madeira: Im glad you liked the terrain; I really feel I did the right thing switching it. As for the lots, they are great, and they can be found here, made by tag_one: http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=15925&v=1

[nedalezz]

UPDATE ELEVEN
EXPANDING THE OIL EMPIRE

The 4th Year has brought with it continued investment and expansion involving the oil industry in Qumma, with the opening of the 2nd refinery just west of the Khaymeh Oil Refinery. The main development, however, is the opening of the Fursan Oil Port, just south of the town, which officially makes Qumma capable of exporting its prized resource.

The port features 2 docking sites for oil tankers, as well as several oil tanks to store the the commodity in. There is also a medium sized freight rail station to handle any container loads the port might have to supply. The oil is transported through pipes from the refineries, eliminating the need to use heavy train transportation to get the resource from their source to the export destination.

The Fursan Oil Port was funded 100% by Berber Dawa on behalf of the QEC, and it cost him approximately $18 million.  In comparison to a normal sized port, it is quite small, with only the necessities constructed.  However, the focus was on efficiency, and there is a lot of that to be had. 

As of now, Qumma exports its oil to 2 countries; Cape Verde Islands and The Gambia, both small markets with a population of under 1.5 million. Dawa made trips to both countries prior to the opening of the port, as well as to Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.  However, only those 2 countries agreed to begin importing oil from Qumma, a move Dawa guaranteed would be one they would not regret.

The QEC is expected to make up its heavy cost of operation of the refineries and the oil port through its export of the commodity.  It has estimated it will export approximately 14,000 barrels per day, with capabilities of producing up to 18,000 barrels per day.

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The Cevella Oil Refinery opens just months after the Khaymeh Oil Refinery to the east, and although it will play an important part in the development of the industry in Qumma, it is considerably smaller than its older partner.

Most of the workers will be coming in from Khaymeh, which is expected to hit 1,200 people before the end of the 4th Year thanks to the job opportunities of the new refinery.  Like the Khaymeh Oil Refinery, most of the workers will be from outside of Qumma, seeking better employment and job opportunities than in their homelands.

An unknown private company has presented its plan to open a bus service in Qumma, and is currently awaiting approval. It plans to run 3 routes to start with: Khaymeh-Cevella Oil Refinery, Khaymeh-Fursan, and Fursan-Oil Port. The QEC is set to make its decision on the matter soon.

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I will leave you now with a region shot of Qumma and its current developments. Enjoy!

[Ennedi]

It's a fantastic work, nedalezz!

Some time ago I looked at refineries, ports etc. on the Arabian Peninsula on Google Earth, I saw some pictures from this area too and I can say you really create the similar climate in your MD
And your region view is very similar to views from Google Earth!
I like the refinery, and the residential area near it is excellent!
I like the seaport too, I think it will be bigger in the near future

I have 2 suggestions:
1. I see you have built long power lines - they are necessary if yo have the refinery in the desert. But the power line starts at the refinery directly from the sand, without any building, substation or other starting point. Look at Simtropolis and find "Power lines". You should find 2 sets of them, one with substations (this set produces power) and the second one with various power masts (this set is only eye-candy). All lots from both sets can be placed only on the flat terrain, but you just have the flat terrain Maybe these lots will be useful for you.
2. You have yellow sand in the desert and white sand on the seashore. Maybe it would be better to have yellow sand on the beach too?

[nedalezz]

MINI-UPDATE
FLATTENING THE LAND

Most of the development recently in Qumma has been taking place outside of Fursan, but not all! The QEC undertook a project which consisted of flattening the land around the town in anticipation of further residential development. As you can see below, the project was completed, and the they even managed to put walls on the slope to take the eye candy factor up a notch!

[rooker1]

nedalezz, that's a fantastic picture.  I can't wait to see what you have for us next.  Ennedi, has some very good suggestions, I missed the sand differences. 

Robin   

[thundercrack83]

Wow! That a beautiful teaser, nedalezz! Your work is so stunning, I can't wait to see more!

[Yoman]

Wow, that picture of Fursan is amazing Nice work, I can't wait to see the new Res sector develop.

On the oil port, may I suggest using SOMY's oil tanker (unless you think its too large) for a more detailed ship model? Very nice otherwise.

My suggestion to add small farming oasis's still stands though.

[spot]

COOL