The integrated project bringing energy to Ghana

Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) is an integrated deepwater project in Ghana split into two stages: the development of first oil, then gas deposits. The operator is Eni Ghana Exploration and Production (44.44 per cent), along with its partners Vitol Ghana Upstream (35.56 per cent) and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (20 per cent). OCTP is around 60km (37 miles) from Ghana’s western coast and boasts approximately 40bn m³ of non-associated gas reserves and 500m barrels of oil. The project is a good example of step-by-step development, combining the development of oil and gas fields in two stages.

The Sankofa and Gye Nyame fields are accessed through wells and systems positioned on the seabed, connected through special pipes to the FPSO (floating production, storage and offloading) ship. Non-associated gas will be treated and transported through a 63km-long dedicated gas pipe to the Sanzule onshore plant. There it will be compressed and distributed to the Ghanaian domestic grid. The oil, meanwhile, is treated on the FPSO, then shipped via oil tanker for sale on the international market. The OCTP development project is concrete evidence of our dual-flag approach: 49 per cent of the contracts were awarded to local companies; roughly 2,300 Ghanaians are currently employed on the various projects and in operational work; and every year $1.3m is invested in scholarships and training.

Gas production and access to energy

The Sankofa field will produce 180 million cubic feet of gas per day for at least 15 years. At the end of June 2018, production began and it will provide enough to convert half of the power generation capacity of Ghana into gas. Production started from two of the four deep-water wells connected to the Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit, John Agyekum Kufuor. A dedicated 60-kilometre natural gas pipeline will deliver the production to the Onshore Receiving Facility (ORF) in Sanzule, where the gas will then be compressed and distributed to Ghana's national grid. The World Bank considers this OCTP project top priority given the long-term production of unassociated gas will be able to support the growth of the national thermal energy segment and advance Ghana's industrial development.

Benefits of the OCTP project

Developing Ghana’s national-gas resources is a high priority because it will improve access to energy in the country, increase revenue from the sector – meaning subsidies can be reduced, and create additional income for the government. The OCTP project means natural gas is available locally and affordably, ensuring a cleaner and more stable and secure energy supply.

Production ahead of schedule

Eni launched production of the Integrated Oil and Gas Development Project in the OCTP block in May 2017, just two-and-a-half years after the project received the green light – a record time-to-market, three months ahead of the development plan. The development comprises the Sankofa Main, Sankofa East and Gye-Nyame fields, which in total have about 770m barrels of oil equivalent in place, comprising 500m barrels of oil and 270m barrels of oil equivalent of non-associated gas (about 40bn m³). The project also includes the development of gas fields, exclusively for the domestic market.