Accra, Dec 17, GNA- The Petroleum Commission, Ghana, will in January 2022, set up a technology transfer unit within its Local Content Directorate to monitor technology transfer in Ghana’s upstream petroleum sector.
Mr Egbert Faibille Junior, Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, who announced this at the 2021 Annual Local Content Conference held virtually, said the Commission would ensure that indigenous Ghanaian companies (IGCs) working with foreign oil companies under joint ventures openned themselves up for technology and skills transfers as they learn on the job and take over the expatriates in future.
“So what the Commission is trying to do is to avert a situation where in 10 to 20 years the story will still be that it is only foreign entities that can do the high end technological jobs. We are deciding to police and work with them.”
Mr Faibille Jnr explained that by the set up of the Technology Transfer unit, a window of opportunity would be provided or given to the companies in the joint ventures, giving them the clear sign posts that must be met.
That would also ensure that within two to five years, the indigenous companies would own their engineering yards and invest a lot more of their earnings in technology, and procure the technologies to be able to get some of the big time upstream contracts.
This would also help in retaining a bigger chunk of the oil money in the county, the CEO of the Petroleum Commission said.
He said that decision had become necessary because a recent exercise carried out in the course of this year revealed that many of the IGCs were not participating in the core technical areas of the sector with high prospect of technology acquisition while there was also low preparedness of IGCs to receive technology.
“After series of engagements with upstream petroleum companies over the last few months, we have realized that there is a gap in terms of practicalizing technology transfer requirements in the industry.”
It was disappointing to find out that some JV companies and their IGCs counterparts in engineering and fabrication businesses do not even have a yard or operational base of their own, he stated.
“This necessitated the Commission to take necessary measures to address this phenomenon and to use this year’s conference to address challenges of technology transfer,” Mr Faibille Jnr explained.
He said the Commission would continue to strengthen existing modalities to champion and accelerate technology transfer in Ghana’s upstream petroleum industry.
“I urge everyone to come on board as we forge on with the technology transfer agenda to build world-class companies and ultimately create and export future oil and gas technologies.
The Commission will continue to implement strategies to enhance technology and skill transfer processes in the upstream petroleum industry. Be assured that the Commission is working assiduously in partnership with the industry to achieve government’s vision for the industry, he stated.
Mr Faibille reiterated that oil industry was one of the biggest and most effective industries in the world and it had more important role in energy market in the future even in the era of energy transition.
“There is a real opportunity for all of you to show to the world that despite all challenges of cross-border technology transfer, Ghana can be a model,” he said.
The 7th Annual Local Content Conference, being participated in by over 400 stakeholders including heads of Upstream Petroleum Companies, captains of Industry, Board Members of the Petroleum Commission, Directors, Management and Staff of the Commission, among others, is discussing technology transfer among industry players in the upstream sector, to ensure a well coordinated joint ventureship among indigenous companies and expatriates.
The two-day conference has the theme: “Optimising Technology Transfer in Ghana’s Upstream Petroleum Industry,” and its expected to focus on optimising technology transfer and bring to the fore, relevant issues that stakeholders could discuss to enhance local participation in the industry.
GNA