Our experience
Our Mine Action experience is managed by representative offices and locally registered companies which are co-ordinated and led from our headquarters in London.
We are one of three contractor groups selected by the United States Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (WRAS) for the conduct of ongoing global integrated weapons removal and abatement programme. The programme provides for all aspects of humanitarian mine action as well as the destruction of small arms/light weapons and hand held surface to air missiles in areas of recent conflict worldwide. Our Mine Action teams have carried out projects in Mozambique and Azerbaijan in support of WRAS.
We also have experience operating in many countries across five regions. Click on the links below for specific examples of these projects
Europe
Cyprus, since 2004
We have provided integrated manual and mine detection dog demining units to clear minefields and booby traps in the “Buffer Zone” which divides north and south Cyprus, including: general mine action and impact assessments, technical surveys, minefield clearance and marking and EOD activities including the clearance of buildings.
Our teams were also tasked to provide an emergency response capability to react to any incidents and reports of mines or UXO.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, since 1996
Our Mine Action teams have provided mine risk eduction, national capacity training and project equipment. We have also carried out minefield site supervision and mine clearance works for the International (Slovenian) Trust Fund, the EC, the World Bank and UN agencies.
Kosovo, 1999 – 2001
Immediately following hostilities, we were appointed Lead Agency in south western Kosovo to co-ordinate the activities of all humanitarian mine action within the region from UXO and ERW clearance and mine awareness to casualty evacuation. We worked in cooperation with the UN and other mine action organisations to clear mines and UXO in order to facilitate the return of refugees to their homes. Our involvement in this European Union and British Government sponsored programme ran from inception to completion.
A fully integrated Mine Action approach was applied using mine detection dogs, mechanical ground preparation and a combination of rapid response EOD and survey teams backed up by manual clearance teams. We also assisted with training national EOD capacity.
Croatia, 2001 – 2002
Our Mine Action teams carried out a number of different programmes including: support to the Croatian Mine Action Centre and the World Bank to clear roads in the area of Zadar and Sibenik, Provision of mine detection dogs and deep search teams to a large construction company during the building of a new highway linking the north of the country to the south and conducting technical and impact surveys and mine clearance in Eastern Slovonia.
Africa
Sudan, since 2006
Our substantial Mine Action team, including around 200 Sudanese deminers, surveyors and support staff, is carrying out a land mine survey and UXO clearance programme in support of the UN’s mission in Southern Sudan.
Mozambique, since 1995
We have had a well established country office in Mozambique for over 12 years. The office supports our numerous mine action operations as well as many of our overseas mine clearance programmes, through the provision of professional deminers trained by the our Mozambique team.
We have undertaken many projects across Mozambique, providing explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), UXO clearance, and mine survey and clearance services using all methodologies. Our clients have included the oil & gas industry, reconstruction contractors, the National Demining Institute, UNOMOZ, UNICEF, the German Agency for Technical Co-operation, and other NGOs providing humanitarian assistance services.
Work undertaken for the oil & gas industry has included: risk mitigation through EOD and mine survey work as a precursor to seismic surveys, clearance of seismic lines (2D and 3D) including bush clearance of thousands of km for the line work and clearance of pipeline routes and processing facility sites. We have also provided technical and logistical support to the UN Accelerated Demining Programme and to the National Demining Institute.
Ethiopia, 2004 - 2005
As a result of the Eritrean conflict and the subsequent war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the border area of both countries is heavily contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance. We have provided the Ethiopian Mine Action Office (EMAO) with three Mine Detection Dog (MDD) teams, to carry out technical surveys and conduct quality control on areas cleared by national manual and/or mechanical teams.
This was the first MDD capacity employed by the EMAO and it proved a great success with the teams clearing and releasing over one million square metres of land for use by the local population. On conclusion of the initial contract, our trainer remained in country to build a national MDD handler capacity and to maintain the MDD’s level of training and operational readiness. All MDDs were donated to the EMAO when we left Ethiopia.
Libya, 2005
Much of Libya’s landmine contamination is a result of the desert battles of the Second World War. While there are broad-based maps of general threat areas, these are not precise. We conducted a General Mine Action Assessment (GMAA) of suspected mined areas from World War II within a major international oil and gas company’s Exploration Blocks, prior to seismic acquisition operations.
Our tasks included: analysis of historical records,·verifying existing reports, conducting fieldwork to confirm the presence of minefields, identifying risks to seismic acquisition operations and recommending actions to be taken where necessary.
Senegal, 2005
One of our consultants was deployed to Senegal to conduct an assessment for the employment of integrated manual, MDD and mechanical clearance assets, with an emphasis on identifying the real danger areas. Recommendations and advice were given to the Government and main opposition party in Senegal on the technologies, methodologies and capabilities for an integrated demining programme based on the results of the assessment as well as national requirements.
Angola, 1995
We were involved in the technical survey and clearance of an area where mines and booby traps had been laid and overlaid by both UNITA and government forces in the Cafuno region of Angola. There were no reliable records of mined locations and due to the high level of metallic contamination, the use of metal detectors was precluded. As a result, we had to rely on traditional methods of prodding and excavation to solve the problem.
A further project in Luanda in 1995 resulted in the clearance and disposal of UXO of a 10,000 square meter area, allowing the land to be returned to productive use.
Middle East
Iraq, since 2003
Our teams have carried out numerous tasks for government and commercial clients engaged in reconstruction projects at locations such as airfields, military installations, pipeline routes, ports, power-lines and water treatment plants.
These tasks included: General mine/ UXO assessments,·technical and impact surveys,·battle area clearance,·clearance and disposal of mines, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and explosive remnants of war, EOD and IEDD support,·ammunition stockpile destruction and mine risk education.
Additionally our Mine Action teams identified, classified, removed and destroyed UXO and stored ordnance as part of a major Coalition Munitions Collection project. Over a 14 month period, 18 million items of ordnance were destroyed.
We have also provided Explosive Detection Dog (EDD) teams for access checkpoint control to prevent explosive devices and weapons being brought into military and reconstruction contractors’ containment areas, as well as for vehicle, personnel and area searches. Up to May 2007, our dogs had searched 913 buildings and 7708 vehicles, resulting in 17 positive indications.
Lebanon, 2002 – 2007
Our Mine Action teams carried out a variety of tasks for the UN’s Mine Action Coordination Centre South Lebanon. These tasks included:·a battle area clearance programme, sponsored by the UAE, focusing on the clearance and disposal of unexploded ordnance and cluster bombs, Quality Assurance and Quality Control of work undertaken by mine clearance contractors ensuring technical standards met International Mine Action Standards, training Lebanese national sampling and monitoring teams, and supporting post-clearance sampling of areas cleared.
Americas
Chile, 2007 - 2008
A Mine Action technical consultant was tasked by a major construction client to visit one of its sites, based on a former military firing range, in Chile. The consultant was tasked to:·ensure the client’s Chilean Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) contractor was working to suitable Mine Action Safety Standards, recommend improvements and provide training on those standards where necessary and monitor the Chilean teams once training had been completed.
Colombia, 2004
Our management and technical consultants carried out three consecutive projects aimed at identifying areas where relevant intervention would strengthen the national mine action effort. These projects assessed the impact of landmines and explosive remnants of war in Colombia,·as well as the existing national mine action framework, identified the training needs of national mine action personnel and coordinated mine risk education aimed at prevention of casualties and victim assistance.
Asia Pacific
Sakhalin Island (Russia), since 2001
Our Mine Action teams carried out a number of different programmes for a variety of major oil and gas companies on the island, which is arguably one of the most mined locations on earth. These programmes included:·impact survey and risk assessment of UXO contamination,·training of national staff in mine risk education and as EOD investigation teams,·quality assurance and quality control of national clearance contractors both on-shore and off-shore including post demolition sampling and the interpretation of data, Underwater EOD survey and mine clearance and assistance with the development of Sakhalin Energy Mine Action Standards.
Cambodia, 2002 – 2004
We initially provided Mine Action consultancy services to the Cambodian Mine Action Authority to assist with the writing of Cambodian Mine Action Standards. A further project was then undertaken on behalf of the EU in order to evaluate the impact of the technical assistance it provided to develop institutional capacity within Cambodian national organisations,·review the mine action sector in Cambodia, including its funding; and report back to the EU on the findings.