I know a guy that is a mining engineer. Big open pit mines is what he engineers. He says same thing about going to mines in hostile countries. He says you get off air plane, get into an armored van that is part of an armored convoy, go to the mine site which has security (guys with machine guns) and is fenced in, and do your work, never leaving the mine site. Says conditions inside the mine are great. Top notch food because they want to keep the workers happy and there is no place they can go safely.