Oil Field Camp: Relocatable Crew Modules on Steel Skids

What an oil field camp module actually is

An oil field camp module is a single prefabricated building. It houses a working crew on a remote energy or mining location. It is built to be moved once that location is finished with it. It is not a temporary structure in the sense of something disposable. It is a permanent building with a transport plan attached.

The distinction matters commercially. A conventional site building is designed once, erected once and demolished. A camp module is designed for an unknown number of installation cycles. Almost every cost difference between this page and a fixed labour camp block traces back to that one requirement.

SAMAN manufactures these modules at its Bengaluru and Greater Noida works. The company has been building portable and modular buildings since 2009 and was incorporated in 2019. That is over fifteen years of manufacturing experience, across more than 500 projects and 3,000 customers in 15 states.

The six sizes, and how to choose between them

SAMAN publishes six sizes, from 200 to 800 sq ft of built-up module area. Every size carries one approved bed figure. There are no ranges anywhere on this page, because a range is not something you can plan a camp against.

This table exists because six sizes with three attributes each is a genuine comparison, and prose would force a reader to hold six numbers in their head.

Match the size to the shift pattern, not just the headcount

The common mistake is to divide the crew size by the bed count and order that many modules. On a location running opposing shifts, half the crew sleeps while the other half works. Beds shared across shifts change the arithmetic completely. A twelve-person crew on a strict two-shift rotation may fit into one 40x10 ft eight-bed module plus a supervisor unit. The same crew on a single day shift needs sixteen beds.

Ask the question the other way round: how many people need to be asleep at the same moment, at the busiest point of the campaign? That number, not the payroll number, sets the bed count.

The rate falls as the size rises

Across every SAMAN cluster the rate per square foot degresses with floor area, and this page is no exception. The shell rate opens at Rs 1,550 per sq ft on the 200 sq ft module and falls to Rs 1,250 per sq ft on the 800 sq ft module. The fitted rate moves the same way, from Rs 1,800 down to Rs 1,400.

The reason is not a discount. A larger module spreads the same fixed content, the same skid design work, the same set of service connections and the same handling effort across more floor area. If two smaller modules and one larger module both house your crew, compare the totals rather than the rates, and then add the second pad, the second lift and the second set of service connections that the two-module option brings with it.

When width is worth paying for

Four of the six sizes are ten feet wide. Two are twenty. The ten-foot sizes give a single corridor with bunks along the walls, which is efficient and moves easily. At twenty feet the layout changes in kind, not only in size. The 30x20 ft module gives two separate four-bed rooms off a common lobby rather than one long room. The 40x20 ft module gives a broad space with a central aisle and real clearance between bunk stacks.

Pay for width in three situations. The first is when crews on opposing shifts disturb each other. The second is when the location is remote enough that one larger lift beats four smaller ones. The third is when a single building cuts pad preparation and service connections. Do not pay for it when the module will move often. A wide-body unit ships in sections and is joined on site rather than lifted whole. It also needs a larger crane window and a more level pad.

What the skid actually changes

The floor of every module in this range sits on a heavy steel skid chassis with two runner beams and reinforced cross-members. This is the single feature that separates the product from a fixed camp block, and it changes four things.

It changes the lift. Marked lifting lugs, corner fittings or transport brackets appear only where the signed general arrangement and lifting drawing shows them. The lift plan identifies the finished weight, the centre of gravity, the sling geometry, the support points and whether the lift needs a spreader. We never assume a one-piece lift. Forklift handling needs documented pockets and a documented capacity.

It changes what you may do with the unit on the ground. Do not drag or tow a module. The one exception is a chassis specifically designed for it, and your quotation will say so. This sounds obvious, and live locations ignore it regularly, usually with expensive results for the floor structure.

It changes the fabrication. The superstructure welds directly into the skid, with local reinforcement at door, AC, service and wet-room openings. The factory completes every structural opening and service cut-out, precisely so that repeated moves do not start fatigue cracks at a field-cut edge.

It changes the inspection points. Skid undersides, cut edges, roof drains and wet-area thresholds are where field durability is won or lost. That is where the coating schedule concentrates its attention.

What one relocation cycle actually involves

A move is a sequence, not an event, and pricing a campaign without allowing for it is the most common budgeting error on this product.

The crew first disconnects the module: power isolated at the point, water and waste drained and capped, external service stubs sealed. Loose contents come out. We then confirm the lift plan against the finished weight and the centre of gravity, because a fitted module weighs more than a shell, and slings that suited it empty may not suit it full.

The crane lifts the unit from its marked points onto the trailer, and the crew secures it. At the new location the sequence runs in reverse, onto a pad that has been levelled and checked for allowable bearing before the vehicle arrives.

Then comes the part that is usually skipped. Inspect the seals, the coating on cut edges, the drainage path and every service penetration before the module goes back into service. A module reinstated without that inspection will still work. It will simply age faster than one somebody checked.

Where the hazardous-area boundary sits, stated plainly

This is the most important paragraph on the page for anyone buying for an operating oil or gas location.

The base module is a normal-area building. SAMAN does not describe it as explosion-proof, blast-resistant, intrinsically safe or hazardous-area certified. Nothing on this page should be read as such a claim. The electrical fit-out, the AC provision and the fittings are normal-area equipment.

SAMAN specifies Ex-rated equipment and interfaces only after you supply the area classification and the project safety basis. This page references IEC 60079-0 only where Ex equipment genuinely applies. Your HSE plan governs siting relative to process equipment, muster and fire strategy, and separation distances, not a manufacturer's drawing.

If your location requires a certified hazardous-area package, say so at enquiry. We engineer and price it as a separate scope. No figure on this page includes it.

What the shell rate includes, and what it does not

Every size carries two rates, and the boundary between them stays the same on all six.

Included in the shell rate:

• The module structure, skid chassis and welded superstructure
• Insulated wall and roof panel, nominal 60 mm, with PPGI faces
• Interior lining, ceiling and floor finish
• Weather-sealed steel personnel doors with heavy hinges and positive latching
• Aluminium windows with insect mesh
• Fixed lighting, fan points, sockets, distribution board, residual-current protection and earthing
• AC provision: the external bracket, the electrical point and the protected wall penetration

Quoted separately, and included in the fitted rate:

• Bunk beds
• Toilet and sanitary fit-out
• The split AC unit itself

Excluded from both rates:

• Ex-rated equipment, gas detection, blast and fire engineering, process interfaces and hazardous-area certification
• Sanitary holding tanks and site sewer or disposal arrangements
• Transport, unloading and craneage
• Foundations, pads, plinths and site infrastructure
• Generator, fuel and gas systems
• Statutory approvals
• Commissioning

An exclusion list is only useful if it is honest, so nothing above is hidden behind a phrase like "as applicable". If an item is not listed as included, assume it is quoted.

Site readiness before the module arrives

Most delays on remote locations are ground problems, not manufacturing problems. Settle the following before we confirm a delivery date.

• A level, compacted bearing surface at the pad, plinth or slab contact points, with the allowable bearing confirmed. Anchor positions are frozen before fabrication.
• Crane or handling access with a standing area and a swing path clear of overhead services. The wide-body sizes need a larger window than the ten-foot sizes.
• Approach road capability for a trailer of the relevant length, including turning radii and any weight restriction on the last kilometre.
• A defined electrical supply point, with the fault level, the changeover arrangement and the site earth identified. The steel frame and exposed conductive parts bond to a tested site earth.
• Water supply and waste disposal for any size with a toilet or pantry. Remote water quality, holding tanks, freeze or heat protection and disposal remain site responsibilities unless expressly included.
• Corrosion exposure, if the location is coastal or has an industrial atmosphere, because the coating system is upgraded against exposure rather than assumed.

Services on a remote location

Electrical wiring is FR or FRLS copper in approved conduit or trunking. Protected sleeves shield every metal penetration, and the route keeps clear of water, waste, gas and flexible module joints. Typical circuit references are 1.5 sq mm for lighting, 2.5 sq mm for sockets and 4 sq mm for AC and high-load circuits. Final cable sizing follows the connected load, the voltage drop and protection coordination on the approved schedule. This workbook and this page do not certify the installation.

Protection is by main isolator with MCB, RCBO or RCCB devices. Labelled neutral and earth bars, bonding and surge protection follow the supply and the risk assessment. Generator, DG or UPS changeover follows the approved single-line diagram.

Fixture density follows function rather than a standard count. A crew sleeper, a toolpusher unit and a wide-body block have genuinely different loads, and the quantities come from the approved room and electrical schedule. The quotation excludes loose appliances, kitchen equipment, UPS, DG sets and data devices unless it itemises them.

Where a size carries a toilet or a pantry, the wet package covers the WC, shower, basin or pantry manifolds. It also covers water tank and pump provision, uPVC waste and vent, and protected external stubs. Dry crew sleepers carry no hidden plumbing at all. That is deliberate. A concealed wet route in a module that moves is a leak waiting for the second reinstatement.

What happens before the module leaves the works

Pre-dispatch checks cover dimensions, welds and bolted joints, coating, panel fit, roof drainage, openings, and electrical continuity. Fabrication checks cover fit-up, weld continuity, distortion, bolt tightening, sharp edges and coating repair. SAMAN uses IS 2062 or approved equivalent structural steel. Member sizes and support reactions come from the signed structural drawing, not from a nominal standard section.

Handover evidence identifies the approved general arrangement and bill of materials. It also carries the material schedule, test records, photographs, punch items, lifting and service connection data, and maintenance points. SAMAN supplies certified welding procedures, procedure qualification records and non-destructive testing when the contract or QA plan calls for them, and never by default.

This page states fire, thermal, acoustic, structural and hygiene performance figures only where the contracted evidence supports them for the exact assembly supplied. A panel thickness is not a certificate, and this page does not present one as such.

Maintenance between moves

A module inspected between installations lasts markedly longer than one that is not. The service life of SAMAN's modular buildings is 20 to 25 years under proper use and maintenance. That is a design life, not a warranty period.

Six checks matter most after each move. Look at the sealed laps and flashings on the roof, and at the drainage path below them. Check the coating on cut edges and skid undersides. Check the door and window seals. Check the tightness of bolted connections. Last, check every service penetration and its gland. Sealant is a weather detail, not a structural repair. Never use it to disguise a poor lap or an unsupported joint. Deburr, protect and reseal any field drilling.

Warranty and commercial terms

SAMAN supplies a 5-year structural warranty and a 1-year finishing warranty as standard. The finishing warranty is extendable to 2 years on request, confirmed at quotation. Delivery runs 7 to 21 working days, and we issue a fixed-price quotation within 48 hours of a complete enquiry. Prices are ex-GST; GST at 18% applies, under HSN 9406 for prefabricated buildings. We quote customisation beyond the base specification separately.

Warranty exclusions follow the signed quotation and handover documents. The warranty does not cover site foundations, utilities, misuse, unauthorised alteration, poor cleaning, blocked drains, missed seal or coating maintenance, or relocation damage, unless we expressly agree otherwise.

What we need to quote

A complete enquiry produces a fixed-price quotation in 48 hours. An incomplete one produces questions. The inputs that matter:

• Location, nearest town and approach road condition
• Selected size or sizes, quantity, and required delivery sequence
• Shell scope or fitted scope
• Crew size and shift pattern, so the bed count can be sanity-checked against the size
• Whether a hazardous-area classification applies, and if so, the classification document
• Power supply arrangement at the location
• Water source and waste disposal arrangement, for any size with a toilet or pantry
• Expected number of relocations over the life of the contract
• Any coastal or industrial corrosion exposure
• Craneage arrangement, and whether SAMAN is to quote it

Related pages in the Labour Colony range

If the crew is not moving, look at prefab labour camps and colony planning for the fixed-block route. If a single-structure shelter is all the location needs, labour sheds sit at a much lower rate per square foot. They serve a different job entirely.

Questions buyers actually ask

Can the module be towed between locations?

No, unless we designed the chassis for towing and your quotation says so. We design these modules to be lifted, not dragged.

Is it suitable for a classified hazardous area?

Not as supplied. The base module is normal-area. We engineer and price an Ex package separately, once you supply the area classification and project safety basis.

How many times can it be moved?

There is no published cycle limit. The answer depends on handling discipline, lifting method, ground conditions and maintenance between moves. What we design in is a welded superstructure tied to the skid, factory-completed openings and accessible inspection points.

Does the shell price include beds?

No. Bunk beds, toilet fit-out and the split AC unit are the three items that separate the shell rate from the fitted rate.

Can we mix sizes on one location?

Yes, and most campaigns do. A common arrangement is one toolpusher unit alongside two or three sleeper modules sized to the shift pattern.

Do you supply a canteen or an ablution block?

Those are separate SAMAN products with their own configurations. Ask at enquiry and we quote them alongside the camp modules.