From Right; Amin Adam, Egbert Faibille and Joseph Cudjoe, a deputy Energy Minister
Government has asked the Petroleum Commission to ensure that all contractors and subcontractors operating in the oil and gas industry make use of local companies, service suppliers and workforce.
Government also expects the Petroleum Commission to grow local content in-country and enhance the capacity of Ghanaian Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) to become competitive to deliver quality services to meet deadlines.
It is to this end that the government has launched the ‘Accelerated Oil and Gas Capacity Programme’ aimed at accelerating capacity building in the oil and gas industry.
Deputy Energy Minister, Mohammed Amin Adam, disclosed this at the opening of the 2017 Local Content Conference and Exhibition held in Takoradi yesterday.
The two-day event was on the theme, “Developing Competitive Local Service Providers and Personnel in Ghana’s Upstream Petroleum Industry.”
He indicated that government was desirous of increasing upstream activity following the favourable judgment on the maritime boundary dispute with Cote d’Ivoire.
“President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has warned all companies holding oil blocks in the country’s waters to demonstrate commitment to executing their contractual obligations”.
Gas master plan
He mentioned that his ministry had been involved in executing an ambitious gas infrastructure programme expected to be completed in 2018.
It would include the completion of the tie-in of the Ghana Gas pipeline and West African Gas pipeline by the end of the second quarter.
The completion of the Onshore Receiving Facility (ORF) by the end of the second quarter to receive gas from Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) and the completion of gas pipeline to connect the 450 megawatts Karpowership stationed in Takoradi to the Regulation and Metering station, among others.
He bemoaned the fact that Ghanaians missed important opportunities in the development of the country’s producing oil fields.
“From the Jubilee field development to the TEN development and then to the OCTP project, the lost opportunities in jobs, income and value addition to our economy could translate into several billions of dollars,” he added.
Petroleum Commission
Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Commission, Egbert Faibille Jnr, emphasized that the Commission believes in maximizing local content urgently.
He urged oil companies to hire competent Ghanaians, either resident in Ghana or the Diaspora who were willing to relocate to Ghana in order to help reduce the number of expatriate staff who are paid exorbitant salaries.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi