The Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC) is set to commence the technical decommissioning of the Saltpond Oil Field in the Central Region.
The decommissioning which was announced in 2016 was because of the deplorable state of the platform and wells, posing danger to the crew on board and seafarers.
The exercise kicked off with the arrival of vessels and equipment needed to fully execute the year-long exercise.
The vessels which arrived in Ghana waters at 6 am last Thursday from Lagos arrived in Saltpond on Saturday to complete the second phase of the exercise which involves the removal of pipes, plugging and abandonment of the 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.
Addressing the press in Saltpond on Sunday, following the arrival of the vessels and equipment, Dr Kwame Baah – Nuakoh, General Manager – Sustainability and Stakeholder Relations at GNPC, disclosed that the decommissioned which was announced in 2016 was because the platform and wells were in deplorable state, posing danger to the crew on board and seafarers.
He stated that the wells and wellhead were also in a deplorable state, a breach of which could lead to spillage of oil which would adversely impact on aquatic life and the lives of fishermen and those with facilities along the beach.
He assured the public that the Corporation has received the necessary permits to undertake this important exercise.
He said, “as the National Oil Company, 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.”
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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 the development of a decommissioning plan duly completed and approved by the Minister of Energy.
Source: My joy online
