Mountaineering Support Services Projects

Oman

Working for a seismic contractor in the Sultanate of Oman, Exploration Logistics provided an eight-man mountaineering team. They were responsible for all aspects of the health and safety of the mountain support team located close to Ibri, East of Muscat, on a mixed heliportable/drilling/vibroseis crew. The duties included training and implementing the client's safety systems.

Libya

Exploration Logistics provided a two-man steep terrain unit attached to the seismic contractors conducting a 2D combined dynamite and vibroseis seismic survey. They were responsible for the route selection for drillers, laying and recovery of cables and equipment in technical areas, and also provided training to local teams in steep terrain awareness and location safety.

Columbia

Exploration Logistics were contracted to train and develop a local team of mountaineers. They faced a 3D survey on the Arbolito block in Colombia. The terrain included near vertical faces, many in excess of 50°. The intense training included mountain safety and rescue. Over a six-month period 1.3 million man hours were completed with no LTIs (Lost Time Incidents).

Oman

Exploration Logistics provided a 26-man team of mountaineers and team leaders on a major 3D jebel support programme in Central Oman. The duties included the training of local labour teams, supervising cable laying operations and negotiating difficult areas considered unsuitable for local personnel. This seven-month project utilising 26 mountaineers was successfully completed ahead of schedule and without any Lost Time Incidents (LTI).

Pakistan

Exploration Logistics supported a 2D crew in all aspects of the operations. Duties included setting up safety and medevac procedures, training and then implementing the safety system for the crews, and working on steep terrain in an environmentally sensitive area of a National Park.

Yemen

Working for a seismic contractor in Yemen, Exploration Logistics supplied several teams of mountaineers to provide mountain safety support on a 2D seismic crew. This included setting up safety procedures, training and then implementing the safety system for the heliportable crews working in difficult terrain across 300m deep wadi systems.

Greece

A 2D dynamite crew was supported in all aspects of operations. Particular assistance was given to the drilling crews, where the industrial (Institute of Roped Access Technicians qualified) skills of our mountaineers allowed cableways to be constructed. These were used to move heavy drilling gear into positions normally inaccessible by this type of equipment so that holes could be drilled faster than by using man-portable rigs.

Yemen

A 3D heliportable survey in an existing oilfield employed two mountaineers to safeguard the passage of cables over 300m cliffs in a large and complex wadi system. They were instrumental in reducing costs by minimising the number of helicopters and microwave links required, and in improving the efficiency and safety of the front and back crews to ensure that shooting time was not lost due to rigging problems.

Oman

In support of seismic operations in the Sultanate of Oman, Exploration Logistics provided several teams of mountaineers. Over a period of 18 months, Exploration Logistics' staff provided comprehensive courses in mountain safety awareness training. They were also instrumental in supporting the surveyors and geophysicists as cables and geophones were laid and retrieved. The organisation and execution of casualty evacuation was controlled and a reconnaissance of future work was carried out. Over 35 Exploration Logistics personnel were on the ground at all times. The survey achieved over a million man hours without LTI in difficult jebel terrain.

Pakistan

As part of a seismic operation in a mountainous region of Pakistan, Exploration Logistics provided mountain safety support. This included training in mountain safety, finding and selecting safe access, mountain rescue, quality control and troubleshooting lines in steep terrain. This support has been used on a number of occasions.

Saudi Arabia

A group of Team Leaders were provided by Exploration Logistics to take responsibility for field personnel safety while traversing an extended jebel feature with an intensive 3D survey. Duties included scouting and grading access routes for line operations, security and training of cable teams for activities on loose inclined terrain, placement of equipment on difficult terrain, where necessary, and the provision of jebel rescue training and support.

Iran

Exploration Logistics provided support to a 2D crew in all aspects of the operations particularly health and safety. This included setting up safety procedures, training and then implementing the safety system, route finding, working in steep loose terrain with the added hazard of working in areas that had been cleared of UXO.