The National oil company (GNPC) is set to commence the technical decommissioning of the Saltpond Oil Field in the Central Region following the arrival of Vessels and equipment needed to fully execute the year long exercise.
The vessels which arrived in Ghana waters at 6am Thursday September 22, 2022 from Lagos got to Saltpond on Saturday 24th September 2022 to complete the second phase of the exercise which involves the removal of pipes, plugging and abandonment of the Mr. Louis Platform. The decommissioning exercise is estimated to take 12 months. The exercise will be undertaken by Hans & Co Oil and Gas Company Ltd, a Ghanaian company working with selected experts with support from a project management consultant.
Mr Louie rig on the Saltpond oil field
Addressing the press in Saltpond, following the arrival of the vessels and equipment, Dr Kwame Baah – Nuakoh, General Manager – Sustainability and Stakeholder Relations at GNPC assured the public that the Corporation has received the necessary permits to undertake this important exercise. He said “as the NOC we are committed to safeguarding both human and aquatic life, so we are working closely with the Petroleum commission, EPA, Ghana Maritime Authority, Ghana Navy, traditional authorities and the fishermen in the catchment areas to ensure that all the necessary stakeholder consultations and permits are secured” He further emphasized that the Corporation has also put in place a robust emergency response plan of international standards to manage any incident, in the unlikely event – it occurs.
It will be recalled that in August 2016 the Minister of Energy directed GNPC to decommission the field based on the recommendations from state institutions such as the PC and EPA. Subsequent to that a field decommissioning process was initiated in 2018 with the first phase of decommissioning studies and a development of a decommissioning plan duly completed and approved by the Minister of Energy.
