The Challenge of Libyan Logistics

The successful development of oil and gas opportunities in Libya will require incoming organisations to master a range of logistical support issues and develop strategies for risk management to deal with the particular hazards, both natural and otherwise, that face all new arrivals in the country.

Libya presents its own special collection of health and safety challenges. They range from an unquantified and largely untackled landmine legacy to the meticulous issues of remote site health and medical support and more general safety concerns such as the need for specialist driver skill and competence. In 2003, vehicle incidents once again caused the highest number of fatalities in the global E&P industry, claiming 36 lives worldwide. It was on the roads in Libya where the most serious accident occurred, killing five contractor personnel in one incident.

Exploration Logistics, a UK company with a leading international role in developing on-site safety support services for the oil exploration industry has already made inroads into the logistical challenge of Libya. Its key focus is delivering solutions that support exploration programmes in hazardous and remote terrain through the provision of field personnel, HSE supervision, technical support, strategic consultancy, medical procurement solutions, training and equipment.

Through its Zimbabwean operation, MineTech International, the group is recognised for its leading role in land mine clearance and also for its contributions to mine clearance safety and education in both the commercial and humanitarian sectors. It has a portfolio that includes manual and mechanical clearance, mine detecting dogs and training in mine awareness. MineTech teams have cleared in excess of 1 million land mines as well as other EOD from the planet in just the last ten years.

Mines and unexploded ordnance

Mine clearance is a fundamental problem facing E&P companies heading for Libya as Edward Cross, Business Development Manager from Exploration Logistics confirms. He says, "Before any E&P company can set an operational foot in Libya, they will have to establish where they can safely tread. Libya's landmine legacy is still significant. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines believes mines and unexploded ordnance have hampered development projects and the Libyan Government cites landmines as significant in raising the costs of petroleum exploration and restricting infrastructure development, grazing and industrial projects."

Libya's landmine problem is a legacy from World War II when, according to the Journal of Mine Action, Allied and Axis forces laid somewhere between 1.5 and 3 million landmines and UXO. The problem was compounded during the 1977 Libya Egypt conflict and more significantly along the Chad border following conflict between the two countries. An estimated 1000 mines have been removed from this border, but an assessment in 1995 concluded a further 70,000 mines were in need of clearance from this area alone.

Adds Edward Cross, "The major problem for management of Libyan landmines is that very few records on their location are available. Casualty figures are also unconfirmed, although the Libyan police claim that 11,800 people were killed or injured by landmines between 1940 and 1995.

"Any organisation moving into the region would be advised to carry out a Level 1 survey to assess the potential threat in their region. Because of the widespread nature of the problem, some form of general mine awareness training for staff may also be beneficial as part of an overall health and safety strategy."

As yet there is no national budget or co-ordination body for mine action in Libya.

Medical support

The threat from landmines and EOD presents a first immediate challenge, but the provision and availability of appropriate medical facilities, supplies and equipment will be just as significant an issue for incoming exploration teams operating away from the two main centres of Tripoli and Benghazi where medical facilities are relatively well established. Tripoli Central Hospital has around 1200 beds, providing a general medical and surgery facility, emergency service and ICU. Benghazi has a similar size hospital with general medical services and surgery. However there has been no recent survey of facilities in rural areas, which are likely to be sporadic. Companies looking to establish themselves will inevitably need to develop their own remote site facilities and staff health programmes.

Through its specialist medical division, Frontier Medical, Exploration Logistics has been providing remote site medical support to companies involved in international operations since 1990, improving the quality of emergency support for the industry. Its teams have introduced many new initiatives to improve health, welfare and motivation amongst exploration teams on board seismic vessels, offshore rigs, and in land-based clinics - in jungle, arctic and desert.

Judy Mason, Operations Manager at Frontier Medical has supported organisations establishing medical facilities across North Africa and the Middle East. She explains, "A major factor in planning a medical facility is travel logistics, particularly the evacuation time to the nearest mainstream hospital. This will establish the level of support required at a local level. Companies also need to identify local risks. In general there are no specific health hazards for Libya that aren't found in other parts of North Africa, but they do require care and caution. Educating staff about the potential for illness and how it is contracted is often the best way of keeping a healthy workforce."

Indigenous Libyan diseases such as Leishmaniasis, spread by sand flies, can be lethal. In villages in the North West there have been sporadic cases of the milder form, which causes skin lesions, and also in the area extending from Tripoli to the Tunisian border and from the coast to the plateau of the Jebel Nefusa. Sand fly fever is extensive in coastal regions, especially between April and October, when employees should take measures to prevent sand fly bites. Another potential area of concern is the wildlife population. Rabies is prevalent in Libya, which also has its share of venomous snakes, including three different Vipers and the Egyptian Cobra. Staff should be briefed on how to avoid exposure to dangerous species.

When a local workforce is involved, it's important to consider the implications of any cultural differences and sensibilities when planning a strategy for medical care. Adds Judy, "Local people will have a very different view of what constitutes good medical practice and there's potential for misunderstanding. Many people may prefer to put their destiny in the hands of their god rather than a medical practitioner."

Whilst there are no specific restrictions on importing pharmaceuticals and equipment into Libya, as with any developing county, there are concerns about sourcing drugs and supplies locally. The widespread existence of counterfeit medicines in developing countries has been recognised by the World Health Authority in a recent initiative to crack down on the problem. The incidence of counterfeiting is endemic in a wide range of products such as antibiotics and antiprotozoals including well-established, generic brands.

Counterfeit medicines are difficult to detect and it's impossible to know what they contain. Confirms Frontier Medical's Judy Mason, "Fake products are a major concern. They may contain ingredients or quantities different from those listed which could be dangerous for the patient or make the treatment totally ineffective."

Advice from the WHO encourages consumers and organisations only to buy products from licensed pharmacies and drug outlets. Through www.medekit.com, Exploration Logistics has developed a procurement facility to overcome the problems of sourcing quality medical supplies in remote locations, pioneering a one-stop supply source for western standard pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, easily accessible to working teams around the globe through an on-line catalogue. The website has unique management tools including simple step-by-step template facilities that can be used to develop a clear medical supplies inventory, tailored to specific project needs and circumstances. Solving an everyday problem in a critical application area, medekit only recommends products suitable for remote site use, that are compatible with freighting and storage and safe in the key areas of interactions, side effects and quality.

Exploration Logistics has provided on-site safety support to the oil exploration industry for more than seventeen years. The company has developed a wide range of technical and operational skills including specialist support teams for steep terrain and has successfully completed more than 500 assignments, supporting exploration teams in both Libya and Algeria.

Driver safety

A key issue for companies already based in Libya is vehicle and driver safety, both on and off the road. Teams from Exploration Logistics are working in Libya to support a number of oil and gas companies develop their driver safety schemes. Their objective is to equip local staff with the skills needed for both defensive driving and driving off-road in the desert. Some organisations are also using Exploration Logistics for driver assessor training, to establish their own capacity for staff training within the region.

Driver training has become increasingly important as a global health and safety issue as multinational organisations recognise the importance of good driving skills in achieving safety targets and improving overall business efficiency. Exploration Logistics training covers all vehicle types including bulk fuel tankers, forklifts, cars, vans and utility vehicles. Defensive driver training protects people, their vehicles and equipment, reducing the everyday risks faced by field staff working on location. In Libya, the long distances between sites translate into long periods on the roads. Employees have the additional challenge of desert driving and steep inclines. Regular driver training programmes will be an important factor affecting employee safety and the ability to operate a successful and efficient operation.

Working to reduce the risk of accident and injury on hazardous projects, Exploration Logistics has developed both the people and the procedures that enable operating companies and their contractors to meet the stringent legislative and contractual requirements for safe working practices with HSE Advisors.

For more information on how Exploration Logistics can support your objectives in Libya, contact:-

Joanna Snowdon
Exploration Logistics Group
Tel: +44 1594 545100
Email: joanna.snowdon@exlogs.com