Oil Fields Facilities

Waha is the largest of four desert locations supplying crude oil to the marine terminal at Essider on the coast. The pipeline begins in Gialo field, is routed through Waha and Samah then continues north to Dahra before arriving at Essider. Tankers berthed just offshore are then loaded from here. The flight time from Tripoli to Waha is just over an hour by jet or two hours by turbo prop airplane. The company also operates flights between locations by twin Otter aircraft as overland trips can be difficult in the desert. Equipment that has to travel by road from Tripoli to Waha takes over ten hours for the journey time.

Desert terrain around the camps varies from mainly soft sand with dunes to the east and the west at Waha to a harsh, rocky landscape around Dahra. Tarred roads have been constructed in every camp and to nearby outstations. Rugged Dodge and Landrover vehicles are mainly used for transportation in the field.

The weather varies during the year, ranging from very hot and dry in the summer to occasional rain showers and cold northerly winds in the winter. Afternoon temperatures in the summer months are around 40 degrees centigrade in clear skies but the winter months are a lot cooler, with the sky often overcast. Between these seasons, the wind can often increase periodically and sandstorms are common around March and October.

There are many eucalyptus and palm trees within and around the perimeter of all camps. Raw and fresh water is purified from underground wells and camel trains frequently stop to take on liquid as they pause during their migration north or south.

The normal working day is from 7.00am to 12.00pm then from 2.00pm to 5.00pm. Breakfast is served in the restaurant and usually comprises toast and boiled, fried or scrambled eggs. Lunch is ready at noon and on the menu there is normally soup and salad then rice or cous-cous with meat and vegetables followed by some sort of fruit and juice. Evening meals are similar to those served at lunchtime.

Accommodation is provided in eight room residential blocks, split into two sets of four rooms. Each carpeted, air conditioned room comprises two beds, cupboards, desk and chair, with adjoining shower room and toilet. There is a telephone for internal calls which also receive international calls. Many long-term room occupants choose to purchase equipment to receive satellite television and radio. Houseboys tidy rooms every day and arrange the laundry of bedding and clothing twice a week.

Recreation clubs house a number of facilities like table tennis, pool and snooker tables, cinema and book library. For the more energetic, there are gyms, tennis, squash and basketball courts, and, at some camps, a swimming pool and golf course.

Each camp has a Thurya telephone booth for making overseas calls using a prepaid card and personal computers with internet access are normally available to send and receive emails over lunchtime or just after work in the late afternoon.