Ghana Gets To First Gas In 4th Quarter 2013

Gas Company says no award yet for LPG Plant.
Ghana plans to commission its early production facility for gas by the 4^th Quarter of 2013. This is quite a significant slip from the three earlier timelines, first December 2012, second end of 1^st Quarter 2013, third June ending 2013, but Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) says that many components of the key infrastructure are close to completion. One is the laying of the onshore pipeline from the Jubilee field, whose associated gas is the feedstock to the processing plant(Capacity: 150MMScf/d, scalable to 300MMscf/d). Another is the 120km onshore pipeline from the processing plant to Aboadze, where a 132MW, gas fired Thermal Plant is being constructed(83MW of the 132MW is already online). Thirdly, the company adds, the manufacture of the gas processing plant itself is far advanced. The company says there has not been any award of contract for an LPG plant, a component which is a late add- on in the planning for the gas infrastructure system.

Kwesi Botchwey, GNGC’s Chairman, recently outlined reasons for slippage in delivery of the project,  originally planned to have been executed in an onerous timeline of 12 months. He described delays in the disbursement of the China Development Bank(CDB) Loan as well as those caused by checks on money transfers required by U.S regulations as significantly affecting the ability of Sinopec to pay subcontractor and procure certain components on a timely basis. He also fingered the strictures of Ghana’s procurement laws, the availability and schedules of key subcontractors and field conditions .

Linda Kotey, the company’s spokesperson, dismisses the Government Newspaper Daily Graphic’s allegations that GNGC had awarded a contract for LPG. “It’s all mischief”, she says.