Ghana waits for first gas delivery

A long simmering turf war for control over associated gas from the jubilee fields could be playing out on the eve of the first processing of the commodity from the oil fields. The Jubilee partners are ‘demanding’ a full audit of the gas processing plant before it is connected to the floating vessel, FPSO Kwame Nkrumah, offshore.

The Ghana National Gas Company (Ghana Gas) says attempts to use fears of a blow-out of the Ghana Gas facilities to rationalize a delayed tie-in of its pipeline to the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah have no basis.

The company said it is a misconception to suggest that the tie-in of the FPSO riser to Ghana Gas facilities could lead to “an unexpected accident or a blow-out,” saying facilities such as the Gas Processing Plant (GPP) have in-built relief mechanisms and several layers of protection to address operational upsets.

The by-pass controversy

An initial plan to create a by-pass to carry gas onshore from the FPSO to pipelines leading to the Aboadze Thermal Plant was ignored by Ghana Gas Company, despite huge investments made by the partners in purchasing equipment for that purpose. This has raised fears of further delays in the country’s quest to deliver gas from the fields for cheaper power generation. 

George Sipa Yankey, chief executive of Ghana Gas explained that the by-pass idea could have extended the delivery period of the gas from the field for another nine months. He said the need for the by-pass was part of the initial plan, but noted that the partners could not readily get a heater component to regulate the heat for Aboadze to receive the gas, as initially anticipated.

There was a need for a more detailed engineering works to be done before the by-pass could be constructed, due to the fact that the plant’s systems are computerized, and the by-pass facility needed to be configured into them. The gas pipelines were not designed to take wet gas straight from the fields, noting that this could pose some serious challenges for the power plants.

Bernice Natue, Communications & Investor Relations Manager, Tullow Ghana Limited, said in a statement; “To the best of our knowledge, the by-pass project is on hold until the completion of the main plant.” She explained that an independent audit is required as part of the regular assurance procedure associated with engineering projects of such nature, as it will assure the integrity of the Gas Processing Plant (GPP) and certify that it is safe and ready to receive hydrocarbon gas.