Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has said overall crude oil production from Ghana is expected to more than double over the next four years.
“Overall, crude oil production is expected to increase from 196,089 barrels per day in 2019 to 420,020 barrels per day in 2023,” Mr Ofori-Atta told investors in Oslo, Norway.
Addressing 20 key international companies, Mr Ofori-Atta, stated that Ghana has re-asserted herself strongly as a key destination for petrochemical industry players.
He said, “Going forward, the vision of government is to create an optimistic, self-confident and prosperous nation, through the creative exploitation of our human and natural resources, and operating within a democratic, open and fair society in which mutual trust and economic opportunities exist for all.”
ALSO READ: Aker discovers 450 – 550 million barrels of oil in Ghana
Aker Energy ASA has confirmed a significant offshore resource base in Ghana and has committed to scale up new development in the Deepwater Tano Cape three points block (DWT/CT).
In January 2019, Aker Energy ASA announced the biggest oil find in Africa, of 450-550 million barrels, with potential recoverable reserves of nearly one billion barrels.
Between 2012 and 2016, Hess – an Oil & Gas company — sought, unsuccessfully, to appraise the Pecan field (now with Aker as operator) and agreed terms with the government of Ghana on a feasible plan of development for the discovery. Hess’s initial assessment indicated resources of 230 million barrels of oil equivalent.
In 2017, following discussions with the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Aker announced its acquisition of Hess’s interest in the DWT/CT License.
Aker and its partner, working closely in conjunction with the Petroleum Commission and GNPC, immediately undertook preparations for an expansive drilling programme, with Pecan 4A being the first of three planned wells.
Based on existing subsurface data from seismic and wells drilled, including an analysis of the Pecan-4A well result, the existing discoveries are estimated to contain gross contingent resources (2C) of 450 – 550 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe). Aker Energy estimates that with the next two well targets, the total volume potential is 600 – 1,000 mmboe.
In order to fully develop the DWT/CT, the partners will be required to make a significant capital investment in Ghana with estimates of total project spend in excess of $10bn.
