When the first phase of the project is completed, it will produce a total of 150 million standard cubic feet of gas daily. This will increase to 300 million after the completion of the second phase.

The Country Manager of Sinopec Construction, Mr. Xi Zhiguo, told the Daily Graphic in Takoradi that the company started work in November last year with the engineering segment which constituted a very important part of the project.

He said aside the engineering works, the company had also finished all procurement aspects of the project which included line pipes, cables and other vital processing facilities, and that between November and December, over for production to start.

Mr. Xi said with any gas project, the most important components were the line pipes and cables and currently the ground design had been done and by next month they would start welding.

He said at the moment, a total of 14km of rigid flow lines had already been extended from the Jubilee Fields to the shallow waters and the next equipment to arrive would be the other flow lines that would be extended to the shore.

With regard to the onshore flow lines that would be extended to the thermal plant at Aboadze, the country manager said, the survey, which would inform the design of the onshore flow lines, had been done.

Asked if the installation of the flow lines over 111km to the thermal plant would not delay considering the distance, he replied in the negative, noting that the important thing was the survey and the design which had been completed.

Mr Xi gave the assurance that the installation of the plant and extension of the pipes from Atuabo to Shama were all on schedule and would be completed within the stipulated time.

Asked if there were mechanisms in place to ensure that skills were transferred to the locals to handle maintenance works, he said yes, stressing that “our engineers will work to transfer skill and train the locals on other fabrications”.

Mr Victor Sunu Atta of Ghana Gas said there were 11 sites along the coast where the flow lines were being laid to facilitate installation.

He gave the assurance that with the fabrication and other engineering works done, there was no doubt that the project would be delivered on schedule.