The oil and gas industry is probably as familiar as anyone when it comes to processing contradictions. But here's a new one: archaeologists differ completely when it comes to BP PLC operations off Libya.
"An oil spill off the coast of Libya would be a complete disaster," said Claude Sintes, director of the subaquatic team of the French archaeological mission to Libya and director of the Museum of Ancient Arles, France.
Sintes told the Art Newspaper that there are two archaeologically rich areas off Libya: one is Cyrenaica, location of Apollonia, an ancient harbor now 5 m underwater. "It's a complete town under the sea with streets, walls, and houses. Slow tectonic movement caused it to sink," said Sintes.
"In Tripolitania there are two important sites, Leptis Magna, a former Roman city, and Sabratha, where there is a theatre and mosaics. Some remains are on the beach and, if there was a leak, oil could wash up and certainly cause problems," Sintes said.
Ancient civilizations
"These sites are archaeologically significant because they allow us to understand the complete evolution of this part of the world from Greek colonization in the 7th Century BC to the Arab invasion in the 7th Century AD," said Sintes.
"I don't think drilling should be allowed until sufficient studies are completed to ascertain the effects of oil movement in the water and the risks to historic shipwrecks and other underwater cultural heritage sites," said Steven Anthony, president of the Maritime Archaeological & Historical Society.
Paul Bennett, head of mission for the Society of Libyan Studies, which oversees British archaeological expeditions to the country, agreed that an oil spill would be disastrous for the coastal sites.
Benefits of mapping
But Bennet also told London's Independent newspaper that the area contains tens of thousands of wrecks from the Roman period, and that an opportunity to map the seabed using data collected by BP and other oil companies is being lost.
"If there was the kind of impact assessment you'd expect in European countries, we could see where these wrecks were," he said. "We should be taking advantage of the data collected to map the seabed."
But all of this may just be academic, according to analyst BMI. It acknowledged: "The risks to archaeological treasures from a potential oil spill are likely significant."
But BMI added, "BP's plans for a deepwater well about 125 miles off the Libyan coast mean that it most likely will be the least risky offshore oil endeavor so far in the area, compared with wells having been drilled and turned into producers far more close to the shore."
More Oil & Gas Journal Current Issue Articles
More Oil & Gas Journal Archives Issue Articles
View Oil and Gas Articles on PennEnergy.com
