By Kodjo Adams/Christabella Arko, GNA
Accra, Feb. 21, GNA - The first ever Well Engineering Forum in the West African sub-region to discuss oil production operations, asset integrity management and flow assurance, has been held in Accra.
It brought together industry players in the Oil and Gas sector and focused on key areas including high pressure and high temperature drilling, drilling fluids, sand control, well stability, and logging issues.
It was organised by the TMG Worldwide in partnership with the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), and other stakeholders in the sector.
“Increasing efficiency during the well engineering cycle” was the theme chosen for the event.
Mr. James Yamoah, the Acting Chief Operating Officer, GNPC, said it could not have been held at a better time considering the fact that things were getting more complicated as oil prices kept tumbling.
It was therefore important to ensure increased efficiency in well engineering across the entire cycle.
He announced that the GNPC was dedicating more resources to the Voltaian Basin - a key strategy to boost the sector.
Mr. Yamoah said, the Voltaian Basin was a new project of onshore exploration and a new frontier for the institution and the country at large, as most of the operations were offshore.
“We are working to locate a prospect on the basin to enable us drill the first well in the basin as soon as possible. We have high hopes that we will be successful.”
He added that GNPC together with its partners had made a lot of successes in the areas of drilling and production operations.
“We currently have three producing Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSOs) and 67 active wells, with average daily oil production of approximately 200,000 bbls which were drilled with an increasing degree of successes and safety.”
He identified conductor slumping, sand invasion, tubing leaks and kicks as their major challenges.
Mr. Yamoah said for increased reserves, and production, more exploratory wells needed be drilled and there should be the necessary funding for drilling.
“Once we have drillable prospects, we must raise the finances to drill and be guided by good geoscience that identifies good prospects.”
Mr. Micheal Aryeetey, Project Manager for Voltaian Basin Project, GNPC, said with the International Oil Companies, mainly focused on offshore operations, they were working to lead the inland exploration efforts.
“The risk being taken by GNPC and the Government is expected to yield bigger rewards when the reconnaissance efforts prove successful.”
He said they were doing everything to manage community expectations, adding that engagements with the local people and the local authorities had been good.
“We believe that a national focus on this basin will yield positive results in terms of new oil and gas discoveries and the replacement of national reserves.”
Mr Ato Kwamena Aidoo, Managing Director, Soluserv Ghana Limited, said, the event was an opportunity for the engineers to share ideas and to learn from each other.
GNA
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