Ghana to start commercial oil production in 2010

Page 16, June 24, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
GHANA will start its first commercial production of oil in the fourth quarter of 2010, the Minister of Energy, Dr Oteng Adjei has told Parliament.
He said, “we are on track to achieve the first production in the fourth quarter of 2010. The contractors are still committed to the priduction schedule”.
Dr Adjei was responding to a question filed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Effia-Kwesimintim, Mr Joe Badoe-Ansah.
The MP wanted to know what had prevented the completion of negotiations on the Plan of Development (POD) for the Jubilee Fields and whether the delay would not negatively impact on the planned production of the fields by the end of 2010.
Dr Adjei said following the discovery of oil in commercial quantities at the Jubilee Fields, Tullow and Partners submitted a POD to the government for review in accordance with the petroleum agreement.
According to him, the POD was reviewed by the government’s team, which raised a number of issues.
He explained that most of the issues had been resolved while the iterative negotiation process was almost completed.
Dr Adjei told the House that although he had read in the media about the intention of Kosmos Energy to sell its share in the oil find, nothing official had come on his table.
Answering another question posed by the MP for Evalue-Gwira, Mrs Catherine Ablema Afeku, Dr Adjei stated that the ministry had completed the electrification project at Awukyire-Averebo under the ongoing $90 million project package being executed by the China International Water and Electric Corporation.
He said Kakusuazo, also in the Evalue-Gwira Constituency, had been earmarked to benefit under the Self-Help Electrification V Programme(SHEP)
Other communities in the constituency, Kutukrom, Sikaneasem, Gyampele, Tebakrom, Kukuaville, Akango, Gwira Eshiem, Satem, Gwira Anyinase, Akonu and Dominase, had also been earmarked to benefit from the next phase of SHEP-IV.
The minister added that the Tumantu, Draw and Enyan communities in the constituency did not form part of the electrification projects currently being undertaken by the ministry,and gave the assurance that they would be considered in the subsequent phases of the National Electrification Programme when funds were made available.
He also responded to questions filed by Mr Robert Sarfo-Mensah (Asunafo North) and Mr Augustine Collins Ntim (Offinso North) and gave the assurance that some communities in their constituencies would be hooked unto the national grid when funds were made available.