Monday, June 8, 2009

INVESTORS EXPRESS INTEREST IN GAS INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT (PAGE 39)

MORE investors have expressed interest in the estimated $1 billions gas infrastructure development concept of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) at Etwiabo in the Western Region.
When the facility is established, it will convey gas from the Jubilee Oil Fields to power the Osagyefo Barge at Effasu and another 10-inch, 123-kilometre lean gas pipeline from east of Effasu to power the Takoradi Thermal Plant.
Speaking at the just ended oil and gas conference, Mr Michael Aryeetey the Senior Geologist at GNPC said the move was to ensure that the infrastructure was in place to coincide with the country’s first oil discovery to avoid gas flaring.
He said the onshore gas development was GNPC led project and estimated at $1 billion, while the offshore first phase jubilee development project by the oil company was estimated at $3.1 billion.
He said the facility would support the country’s declaration of “zero tolerance for gas flaring” and to smoothen the process of economic development of the country with the availability of reliable gas supplies.
Mr Aryeetey said interested investors after the publication, had submitted their proposal to GNPC before the deadline which was May 31, 2009.
“At the moment, the evaluation of those bids are ongoing and very soon GNPC would come up with a list of those who had won to commence work immediately onshore,” he said.
Mr Aryeetey said the main focus was to ensure that the investors came up with innovations since they were working to meet the 2010 deadline.
Mr Aryeetey said initially, Samsung did some studies and they made enough information available to the bidders to help them.
He said the bigger picture of GNPC’s focus was to position onshore as full petrochemical industry, “but at the moment, we will need a plant to process the wet gas from the Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) positioned offshore.”
Mr Aryeetey said after processing the gas it would then be channelled to the Osagyefo and Takoradi power plants.

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