Special topics
WORK on the $850 million Gas Infrastructure Project at Atuabo in the Western Region is expected to be completed in November this year.
The project will enable the country to transport natural gas from the Jubilee Fields for processing and for the generation of power by the Aboadze Thermal Plant. The excess gas would be exported.
When the Daily Graphic visited the project sites in the Jomoro and Ellembelle districts last Friday, clearing of the land for the plant was underway, while a fabrication yard, a distribution tank farm and residential facility for workers were being prepared.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gas Company, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, told the Daily Graphic that so far, work on the 14km flow line from the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah to transport the natural gas from the Jubilee Fields to the shore has been completed.
He said materials for the project had been ordered and would start arriving at the Takoradi Port on July 20, including quantity of pipes to cover the entire 111 kilometre stretch from Atuabo to Shama,
Dr Yankey explained that most of the equipment and the super structures were pre-fabricated and added that all that was needed was the finished platforms for the structures to be mounted.
Asked if the country had enough gas to warrant the development of the infrastructure, he said the country had significant reserves of oil and gas fields under various states of appraisal and development.
He said since production started in 2010 it was envisioned that 120 million standard cubic feet of dense phase gas would be piped from the Jubilee Fields to the gas plant for processing by December 2012.
“It is important to note that the jubilee fields cannot sustain long periods of gas injection without damaging the reservoirs and curtailing production,” he said.
Dr Yankey said it was important to position Ghana not only as an oil producing country but also as one that harnessed its gas resources for development.
The CEO said the Tweneboa, Enyenra, Ntume complexes would start production by 2015 and had large reserves of gas just like the Sankofa, Gye-Nyame, Dzata wells and the Tano Basin, adding that they were of economic value to Ghana
“We are not waiting to finish before extending the pipes. All the projects are starting at the same time, by the time the plant is ready the pipes are already connected to deliver to thermal plants,” he said.
In a related development, a seminar on compensation has been held for 166 farmers in the Jomoro District who lost their farms as a result of acquisition of land for th Gas Processing Plant.
Addressing the farmers, The Director of Development of the Ghana National Gas Company, Mr Victor Susu-Atta, said a 55-kilometre offshore pipeline was being constructed at Cape Three Points in Atuabo in the Ellembelle District where the plant was located.
Already, he said, 14 kilometres of the 55-kilometre pipeline had been constructed.
He explained that the short term objectives of the project focused on developing a Gas Infrastructure Project to process and pipe Jubilee Phase One gas to the Takoradi Thermal Plant at Aboadze in the Shama District.
He further explained that another objective was to build an Early Phase Gas Infrastructure Project by the end of 2012 and that the project would comprise a fully integrated and profitable gas business to serve the Ghanaian and export markets.
Mr Susu-Attah said it also sought to acquire sites at Bonyere, Egbazo, Kabenlasuazo, Ndumsuazo and Bokakole all in the Domunli enclave, Atuabo, Esiama and Prestea to prepare and build the requisite infrastructure for the petrochemical industries, gas operations and control centers, incorporating helicopter surveillance fleet for the protection of the gas facilities.
He said it would also consider the preparation of commercial and technical agreements for purchase, gathering, processing, transport and delivery of natural gas as well as the commercial operations on completion of the early phase of the project.
Touching on the benefits of the project, Mr Susu-Attah said the natural gas project would especially generate employment, create new infrastructure to support a vibrant petroleum and petrochemical industry.
He said it would also provide a new economic growth pole for Ghana starting with the Western Region, provide the opportunity for a more competitive pricing of indigenous gas as well as the generation of much lower cost power and secure competitiveness of Ghanaian industries.
He added that it would accelerate economic development, support strategic objectives of becoming a petroleum processing hub and resume Ghana’s strategic role as a preferred exporter of power in the sub-region.
Daily Graphic