The gas processing factory to be positioned between Effasu and Atuabo in the Western Region has been identified as one main aspect of the country’s oil find that will create numerous job openings.
The gas processing plant is expected to attract players in the banking, hospitality, insurance, electrical, services, legal, recruitment, technical, agriculture, real estate and other related services that would help address some aspects of employment.
The youth and the skilled labour in the region have, therefore, been urged to get ready to meet the challenge.
Mr Francis Amewudi, an engineer with the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, was speaking in response to questions about the gas factory and employment at the last public hearing on the Environmental Impact Assessment and mitigation plan for oil companies at the Jubilee Oil Field Phase One.
The public hearings, which were held at Axim, Agona Nkwanta, Shama, Half Assini and Takoradi, were attended by chiefs and opinion leaders of the various communities who were briefed on the assessment presented by officials of the EPA and other organisations involved in the emerging oil industry.
The EIA deals with the health, social and economic implications of the oil find and future oil drilling in the communities.
He said the gas factory would process gas from the Jubilee fields to power the Aboadze Thermal Plant, Osagyefo Barge as well as for domestic use.
At the commencement of work in the area, he said “there would be the need for the financial sector to provide services to these companies and that would mean improvement of social infrastructure as well as complete transformation of the whole area”.
He said it was important to ensure that the people were ready for job openings that woud be created in the industry. Apart from those who would be employed to work during the setting up of the factory, he said there would be other openings after its completion.
The banks, insurance, hospitality and other service providers would require staff and that would be positive for the people.
There would also be an improvement in social infrastructure such as roads and other facilities that would make life comfortable for workers who would be employed.
The upstream petroleum industry, Mr Amewudi said, was very complex, technology based and capital intensive and employed only few technocrats at a time.
He said the greatest news was that Ghana had decided not to flare its gas deposit, but channel it for an onshore gas factory.
He said at the moment there was an ongoing survey to ensure that a good location was found for commencement of work.
Other speakers also described the oil industry as an area that could give birth to several businesses that would impact positively on the fortunes of the country.
The Government and External Affairs Officer for Tullow, Mr Kofi Esson, assured the chiefs and people of the area high environmental standards.
He took time to explain corporate social responsibility, how to handle emergency situations, among others. Officials of Environmental Protection Agency and other officials of the GNPC took turns to answer questions from the public.
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