Grand Erg Oriental small but ancient settlement of Ghadames at the Libyan frontier. Another and better road from Hassi Messaoud goes south, also crossing the grand erg where it passes a well called "Hassi Tartrat", before reaching the erg's far side. Further south lies the Ahaggar mountains. The cities of Wargla and Touggourt lie outside the western limits of the erg. Nearby, within the accepted boundaries of the "Grand Erg Oriental", the landscape is described as being "practically free from [sand] dunes" evidently due to strong, persistent winds. Petroleum and other hydrocarbons have been extracted in Algeria, from areas in and surrounding the
Erg (tug) of Canada, which kept records of the activity in the harbour, advised that from 1940 to 1943, there were at least 12 vessels involved in accidents within Halifax Harbour. Vessels such as "Camperdown", "Claire Lilley" and "Nueva Indalucia" ran aground, whereas others such as "Otter", and "Trongate" caught fire and sank (or, in the case of "Trongate", was made to sink as the flames were completely out of control). In 1940, "Herbidean" was sunk by the British ship "Esmond"; a forerunner to the fate of "Erg". On June 6, 1943, "Erg" was carrying workers and equipment (air compressors and electric