Shell in the Middle East | Features

To ensure that the seismic survey operations in Shell’s concession areas in Libya’s Sirte Basin are being carried out to the highest standards, Shell Libya has Quality Control representatives working alongside its contractors during operations. ‘Shell in the Middle East’ travelled to Libya, to visit the BGP (Bureau of Geophysical Prospecting) base camp 8624, to meet four of these Quality Control representatives, who are addressing the health and safety issues of all those working in the field, the wellbeing of the local people who are living in the concessions areas and the quality of the seismic operations. We also met the mine and ordnance detection contractor, and talked to the man who is heading up the HSE Audit, standing by to watch a Medevac drill… “

The Royal Dutch Shell Group maintains very high standards in all aspects of its operations, with special consideration given to HSE [Health, Safety and Environment] issues,” says Marc Gerrits, Shell EP Libya’s Exploration Manager.

“Shell Libya currently has four seismic crews operating in its 20,000 square kilometre concession in the Sirte Basin, which was awarded last year as part of an LNG Development Agreement between Libya’s NOC [National Oil Company] and Shell.

“Much of the area in which we are working has mines and ordnance from the Second World War, so we have mine and ordnance detection teams working ahead of our seismic acquisition teams to protect their safety. Furthermore, we have Quality Control representatives to monitor the mine and ordnance detection operations.

“To ensure that all aspects of HSE are being properly implemented, we have been carrying out regular HSE Audits on our four base camps and their operations to assure the health and safety of all Shell staff, contractors and the general public, and to make sure that our operational impact on the environment is negligible.

“To acquire seismic data is both time-consuming and costly and it is imperative that the quality of the data we are acquiring is up to the standards we need. To this end, Shell Libya has employed Quality Control representatives who monitor both the collection process in the field and the quality of the data collected prior to it being processed in Tripoli.

“Finally,” says Marc, “permitting is the process by which Shell Libya acquires the necessary permissions to access private and government land in the course of its seismic acquisition operations. It is a necessary part of all our seismic operations, so we have Quality Control representatives performing this task for us in co-operation with Libyan assistants.

“The people who monitor the HSE and Quality Control of our operations are extremely important people and can be likened to the ‘backroom boys’. They carry out vital work, receiving little public acclaim for doing so, but without them our operations could not proceed. Their work is absolutely invaluable,” Marc concludes.

The mine & ordnance Clearing contractor

BACTEC (Battle Area Clearance Training Equipment Consultants) International Limited) has been appointed by BGP and Shell to provide land mine and exploded ordnance detection operations in support of the seismic acquisition programme in one of Shell’s five blocks in the Sirte Basin. Mark Fitzpatrick is the Project Manager.

He says, “BACTEC is a specialist British company working in the field of EOD [Explosive Ordnance Disposal] and land mine clearance. The company has been commissioned by BGP, the company conducting the geophysical survey on behalf of Shell Libya, to ensure that the area which is going to be the subject of its 2D seismic acquisition programme is clear of any land mines or unexploded ordnance.

“To do this I am leading a team of six people, all with de-mining training and experience, who between them have worked in the South African and British armies, the Australian navy and, in my case, the British Royal Air Force as an EOD Mine Clearance Operator.

“The area in which we are working is renowned for its unexploded anti-tank mines which were left over from World War II and the many tank battles which were fought around here. Whilst there have not been any recorded deaths or injuries from old mines for some years now, in the past a number of people have been killed and maimed.

“So our job is to go into the field before anyone else involved in the seismic acquisition programme sets foot on the ground to make sure that it is safe for them to carry out their jobs.

“There are three levels of mine action and ordnance clearance. Level 1 iscalled an Impact Survey, Level 2 is a Technical Survey, and Level 3 is Clearance. For BGP and Shell in this area BACTEC is currently carrying out a Level 1 survey.

“Level 1 requires us to drive and walk over a pre-determined area where the seismic acquisition will be carried out and survey and clear this route within certain parameters. We look for evidence of mine fields, such as warning signs and barbed wire fencing, and we talk to the local people and Bedouin tribes people to see if they have come across any mines or unexploded ordnance. We also carefully examine the surface of the ground for evidence of mines which we can see as the ground is often quite hard and over time mines can be brought to the surface by nature.

“In the 11 months that we have been here we have found severalitems of ordnance including six land mines, and of these four were live. The locations of the live items have been marked and their positions reported to the Libyan Civil Defence, which is responsible for their disposal.

“We are also equipped and ready to carry out a Level 2 operation if required. This would involve the verification of the discovery of a mine field which had been identified during the Level 1 survey. Level 2 requires the presence in the field of an eight-man de-mining team with special equipment which will identify the limits of the mine field and mark it.

“For Level 3 we may be requested to go in and clear the whole mine field, or clear a pathway through it, so that the seismic survey does not have to deviate from its planned route.

“Another very important part of our job is to conduct Explosive Ordnance Safety and Awareness briefings for all new field staff and for all visitors going to the field to illustrate the risks of coming into contact with these dangerous items. We tell them what to do and what not to do if they come into contact with a mine. We stress that it is better to be safe than sorry and even if it turns out to be an old rusty tin can and not a mine it is better to report anything at all suspicious.

“In these briefings we use a power point presentation and inert ordnance to show people what mines and other ordnance, such as mortar bombs, look like. We also show them photographs of people who have been injured when moving or handling hand grenades, mortar bombs and mines to play with them. Not a nice sight, I can tell you.

“Safety is our business and it is of paramount importance. We are here to ensure the safety of personnel and equipment and to take all possible care. So far we have had no nasty incidents and I hope it will stay hat way,” concludes Mark.

The Quality Controllers

John Rose is an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Quality Consultant, working for RPS (Rural Planning Services) on secondment to Shell to oversee mine and ordnance survey operations in Shell Libya’s four seismic survey areas.

He says, “My job is to ensure that any field activities carried out by BACTEC [see right], and the other mine and ordnance clearing companies working for Shell Libya, are carried out according to Standard Operating Procedures [SOP] and in a safe and proper manner. I carry out on-the-spot visits to observe their activities and visit areas they have cleared.

“My background is with the British Army, where I served in the Royal Engineers, with my last eight years being focused on EOD and counter-terrorist search activities, with operational experience in Kosovo, Bosnia and Afghanistan.

“I am pleased to say that we have not found as much ordnance as was anticipated. When we commenced operations we had to rely on old surveys and maps based on information from the Second World War. As a result, our initial assessment was that we would find a lot of ordnance, which has not turned out to be the case.

“To date, with about 40 per cent of our target area having been surveyed, only six anti-tank mines and 122 items of other ordnance, such as shells, grenades and mortars, have been found.

“I am extremely pleased to say that there have been no explosive ordnance-related incidents and I am confident that this will continue for the rest of the survey,” concludes John.

The Quality Controller

Bob Laing is a Quality Control Consultant with Geocon (Geophysical Consultants) on assignment with Shell Libya. He says, “My job is to liaise between the seismic acquisition contractor, BGP [Bureau of Geophysical Prospecting], and Shell Libya, to monitor the quality control procedures that are in place, and to ensure that they comply with recognised industry standards.

“A part of this involves checking seismic acquisition arrays and equipment in the field. Seismic arrays are made up of a series of geophones, which are very sensitive electronic detection devices. These are laid out on the ground in a pre-determined pattern, with four strings of six geophones comprising one geophone station.

“One geophone station covers a ground area of 25 metres by 57 metres. In one kilometre there are 40 geophone stations and at any one time there is a 12 kilometre spread, and 480 stations, electronically connected. This means that 11,520 individual geophones are in use at any one time.

“The energy source used to generate the seismic waves is a fleet of four 30-ton vibroseis trucks positioned at the mid-point of the 12-kilometre geophone spread. A signal of varying frequencies, known as the ‘sweep’, is generated simultaneously by the vibroseis trucks. This sweep travels underground at velocities of, typically, 1,500 to 4,000 metres per second. The energy waves are reflected back from sub-surface horizons of interest, detected by the geophone stations and converted into electrical signals.

“The signals from the 24 geophones in any one station are collected together and this signal is transmitted to a main data cable, where it is digitised and sent to the recording truck. Signals from all 480 geophone stations are similarly collected at the same time in the main data cable. The data is stored on cartridges in the recording truck and later sent to base camp.

“The fleet of vibroseis trucks moves forward 25 metres and again sends a sweep into the ground. To maintain symmetry of the 12-kilometre spread of geophones, one additional geophone station has to be added to the front of the live geophone spread, and one removed from the back.

“There is a front geophone crew which works several kilometres ahead of the live spread, adding new stations, whilst a back geophone crew, several kilometres behind, picks up stations no longer required in the live spread and transfers them to the front crew. There is, therefore, typically 18 kilometres of geophones and cables on the ground at any one time, although only 12 kilometres comprise a live spread. This transfer of equipment is a continuous process.

“On an average day the vibroseis trucks can make 400 sweeps, roughly one a minute, which represents movement along the seismic line of 10 kilometres a day. An average seismic line in Shell Libya’s blocks 213 and 215 is around 100 kilometres in length and takes 10 days to complete.

“With over 3,400 kilometres of 2D seismic data to be acquired, some of the seismic crew do a lot of walking and are very fit!”

Bob then explains, “The seismic data undergoes preliminary processing by BGP in base camp before being forwarded to a seismic processing company in Tripoli. A part of my job is to carry out on-the-spot checks of the acquired data, and to work closely with BGP’s Party Chief and heads of departments.

“There are many things that can go wrong with the cables and geophones, and despite the fact that most people think the desert is completely dry, here in the Sirte Basin in Libya we have had several instances of rain recently, which have caused a few problems.

“To ensure that all the geophones are working to specification, 3.3 per cent of the total number of geophones are sent to the base camp for testing each day, which means that in a month all the geophones we are using have been checked.

“We also have more mundane problems such as sheep, camels and goats disturbing line equipment, as well as third-party vehicles being driven over the geophone arrays. Working near the town of Ajdabya means that landowners have first to be contacted before equipment is laid across their property. The fact that much of the region was a war zone during the Second World War forces us to first check the intended seismic lines for the presence of mines before laying out equipment.

“Another important part of my job is to ensure that BPG adheres to its own, and Shell’s, high HSE standards as our target is zero LTIs [Lost Time Incidents],” Bob concludes.

The Quality Controller

Dave Wilson is a Topograpic Quality Controller working with Benchmark Geophsyical on secondment to Shell Libya. He says, “My brief was to oversee the start-up of operations for all four of the seismic survey acquisition programmes currently being carried out by Shell Libya in the Sirte Basin, and to provide technical support to the aeromagnetic aerial survey team.

“The purpose of my survey work is to establish geophysical co-ordinates to enable the four seismic crews to carry out their acquisition programmes to a very high level of accuracy. It is from the data that the initial survey provides that the individual seismic acquisition lines will be determined and followed by the crews.

“I am working in close co-operation with Nick Kirby of Shell International Exploration & Production in The Hague, who provides the line co-ordinates to be used for the seismic survey and the satellite imagery for mapping purposes. From this the seismic crews create their own maps and seismic acquisition lines.

“A part of my job is to oversee the establishment of primary and secondary control survey networks, using static GPS [Global Positioning Systems] and real-time kinematic techniques.

“The primary control network for each crew is tied in to the ITRF [International Terrestrial Reference Frame] to an accuracy, in terms of position and elevation, the size of a tennis ball.

“The purpose of tying in the four separate seismic acquisition crews to the ITRF is to minimise inaccuracies in the existing survey data which was collected using traditional survey techniques. It also allows the four crews to improve accuracy and create a much wider network of survey control management, which can be used by Shell for future operations.

“It is my goal to achieve the most accurate central survey network that has ever been developed for seismic surveying. The efforts devoted to this by the survey departments from BGP and the other three surveying companies have been excellent and inter-crew co-operation is producing real dividends. Crews talk to each other on a regular basis and this, in the long term, will lead to a much higher standard of data acquisition and survey operations,” Dave concludes.

The Quality Controller

John Parish is Shell’s Quality Control Representative for Permitting Issues at BGP’s base camp. He explains, “The main thrust of permitting is identifying areas of land under private, municipal, government or military control where permission to gain access and carry out seismic survey operations will be required. We then contact the owners and officials concerned for the permissions we need. Some of the lines on the ground which the crews will follow to record seismic data will be as long as 110 kilometres and it is pretty difficult, even in the desert, to find an uninterrupted stretch of land that long.

“So once BACTEC has declared an area to be safe of ordnance, the Permissions Team follows the predetermined survey lines, checking on the areas where we may need to obtain permission to gain access to carry out the seismic survey.

“I lead a team consisting of Guo Dong, an Arabic-speaking member of BGP, and Abid Al- Arabi, a local Libyan and ex-teacher from Ajdabia. A fourth person will join us shortly as our Local Affairs Adviser. He is also from Ajdabia and has a lot of experience of local government.

“One example of the sort of thing that we had to deal with recently was being called into the military about an aero-magnetic survey flyover. This demanded a very prompt response indeed.

“On a daily basis, negotiations are less dramatic but equally important. It is essential that when BGP, and Shell, leave this and the other areas we will be surveying that we do so on the best of terms with the local people as we may well need to return in the future to carry out further work, such as 3-D seismic surveys, and, we hope, to drill wells, run pipelines to export the gas Shell expects to find, and even build gas processing plants and so forth.

“For some landowners, it is a daunting experience to have 60-plus men, several transport vehicles and five vibroseis trucks passing over their land. In some cases we may need to cut through their fences so it is important that we have good relations, explain the operation completely and reinstate their properties after we finish, leaving their farms or land as we found them.

“As part of the permitting process, we maintain a database with records of all permits issued. When we issue a permit, we will meticulously record all details of the land we are to cross, making sure that we have full permission from the owner to do so.

“In all cases where a permit is issued, we will also make sketches of the land. We mark boundaries stating whether they are fenced or walled, note the condition of buildings, take satellite-positioning references and photograph the land before and after it has been accessed by our team. Any hazards, such as wells or animal enclosures, are also marked and their positions identified. Documenting the permit fully is an important reference for us and the landowners in case of any disputes or claims for damages following access by BGP to their land.

“Whilst the survey teams always try to be as careful as they can be, there are occasional instances where damage, unfortunately, does occur. However, we also sometimes receive claims where damage is perceived to have happened but has not actually taken place. This is a sensitive issue which needs careful handling and also one which forms an important part of the job.

“Most of the local people, however, are very friendly indeed and I am often invited into their homes for meals or to have tea or coffee.

“Finally all of this information has to be shared with the survey, front recording and back crews to make sure that they are also aware of the permits that have been issued and any requirements under those permits, such as the presence of the owner when we cross his land.

“It is an interesting, important role and the start of the development of good relationships with the local communities in which Shell will have to work in the future,” concludes John.

Looking after HSE

Dr Du Jun is the BGP base camp doctor. He says, “Medical care in a remote desert operation like this is of vital importance. We have a fully equipped medical clinic with medicines, trauma bags, scoop and vacuum stretchers, oxygen and a defibrillator. We also have two ambulances for field emergencies and for transporting accident victims to hospital.

“To help me in my work I have one paramedic assistant and two well-trained nurses, whilst many of the other staff at the camp are also fully conversant with first-aid training.

“Generally, health conditions on the camp have been very good. We have had no serious cases, no incidents of food poisoning or gastroenteritis and only a few minor incidents requiring first aid,” Dr Jun concludes.