Gas Production Is Critical To Government- Energy Minister

The Minister for Energy & Petroleum, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has charged partners in the Offshore Cape Three Point (OCTP) Block, which has Sankofa-1 and Gye Nyame- 1 gas discoveries, to form a technical committee to map out strategies to ensure timely production of the gas.

The partners are ENI Ghana Exploration & Production Limited (47.22 %), Vitol Upstream Ghana Limited (37.78%) and the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC- 15%).

At a meeting with the partners on Monday March 4, 2012, the Minister said gas availability was very paramount to the nation in its socio-economic development drive, adding that the country can no longer depend solely on gas from Nigeria.

He therefore charged the partners to go into talks together with other stakeholders, including the Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) and the Petroleum Commission to ensure that a production target is set and met.

The meeting was held to discuss the progress update of the OCTP gas development project.

It will be recalled that in 2009, the OCTP partners discovered non-associated (without oil) gas in two wells christened Sankofa and Gye Nyame offshore Cape Three Points.

During the appraisal however, the partners found oil, subsequently changing the planned appraisal schedule. The decision the partners faced as a result of this situation was whether there should be a joint appraisal for both resources (oil and gas), which would delay the production of gas, or a stand-alone appraisal for the gas discovery and later on, the oil.
Briefing the Minister, the Country Director of ENI Ghana E&P Ltd., Paul Himsworta, presented the two scenarios, saying it was necessary to work with a sense of urgency in making a choice.

 After some deliberations, the Minister, directed the partners to meet on the issue and propose the best scenario, taking cognizance of the fact that the country needs gas to produce electricity.

He entreated them to ensure that all stakeholders make an input in order for all parties to ‘own’ the recommendations that will be made for consideration.

He used the opportunity to call on GNPC and GNGC to see themselves as partners in development and, in the national interest, collaborate effectively to achieve their aims and objectives.

The meeting was attended by the Director of Petroleum of the Ministry, Dr. Paul Frempong as well as some Ministry officials, the Managing Director of GNPC, Nana Boakye Asafu-Adjaye, Director of Exploration & Production of GNPC, Mr. Thomas Manu, acting Chief Executive Officer of Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC), Mr. Eric Yankah and some officials of Vitol and ENI, among others. 

GBC