Eni started gas production from the Sankofa field, in the integrated oil & gas Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) project, in Ghana, last weekend. The field will produce 180 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmscf / d) for at least 15 years, enough to convert half of Ghana's electricity generation capacity to gas.
Production is initiated by two of the four deepwater wells connected to the floating production, storage and offloading unit (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading, FPSO) "John Agyekum Kufuor". After the last commissioning phases of the offshore structures, production will come through a dedicated 60km gas pipeline to the Onshore Receiving Facility (ORF) in Sanzule, where the gas will be compressed and then distributed to the national network of Ghana.
OCTP is the only non-associated gas development project entirely dedicated to domestic consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa, and will provide Ghana with stable, reliable, and affordable gas supplies. The project was developed with the support of the World Bank, and has a strategic importance: OCTP gas can help Ghana to move from oil-powered electricity generation to a cleaner source, with consequent environmental and economic benefits, and contribute to the sustainable economic development of the country.
"OCTP combines value creation and environmental sustainability," Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said. "OCTP gas will contribute to Ghana's energy stability, which is a prerequisite for industrial and economic growth, and will at the same time help reduce harmful emissions. This is proof of Eni's commitment to sustainable development and long-term partnerships with host countries, where we can only grow if we grow together ".
"GNPC is pleased that the OCTP project has achieved this result," said Ghana National Petroleum Corporation Dr KK Sarpong, "and will support Eni in the next steps to ensure that deliveries of gas to the Ghanaian market reach the expected volumes in the as little time as possible ".
Eni has been present in Ghana since 2009 through the subsidiary Eni Ghana. Eni is operator of the integrated Oil & Gas OCTP development project (Eni 44.44%, Vitol 35.56%, GNPC 20%) which, with a record start-up (3 months ahead of schedule) and an accelerated ramp-up, reached its peak of production one year in advance of the development plan. With the start of gas production, OCTP's total oil and gas production could reach up to 85.000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.