25+ Years of Uninterrupted Pipeline Data Management in Libya
The GeoSCOPE system HDS built for the Sharara pipeline in 1998 is still running today — across three operator name changes, a decade of Libyan civil conflict, and a major system upgrade in 2024. It is one of the longest continuously operating instances of our platform anywhere in the world.
The Challenge
In 1998, Repsol Oil Operations (ROO) in Tripoli needed a robust, purpose-built data management system to handle all technical documentation and maintenance records for the Sharara pipeline — a major oil transportation artery running from the Murzuq basin fields in southwest Libya to the Zawiya terminal and refinery on the Mediterranean coast.
The solution needed to manage the pipeline system topologically and schematically, integrate with equipment maintenance records, and provide full document version control and workflow management to keep documentation off open shared folders and properly secured.
The Solution
HDS designed the full database architecture and data workflow procedures for a custom GeoSCOPE implementation. The ROO team contributed the map interface design, representing the pipeline system topologically rather than geographically — an approach that aligned with how operations teams actually work with pipeline infrastructure.
The system provided full document workflow and version control, direct connectivity to the equipment maintenance database, and a secure, structured environment for all technical documentation. HDS has continued to support the system through every subsequent change of operator.
The Outcome
The system has been in active, continuous operation for over 25 years — surviving Libya's political upheaval and operator transitions from ROO to AKAKUS Oil Operations (a joint venture of the National Oil Corporation of Libya, Repsol, Total, OMV and Equinor). A major system upgrade was completed in late 2024, and HDS continues to provide active support.
This engagement stands as one of the most compelling proofs of GeoSCOPE's long-term operational reliability and HDS's commitment to sustained client partnerships.