By Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Accra, July 23, GNA – Upstream service provider, Halliburton Ghana Operations Limited, has committed an estimated US$15 million in advanced petroleum engineering software, training and academic support under a new partnership with the Petroleum Commission, Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST); aimed at strengthening local capacity and developing the country’s next generation of upstream professionals.
The agreement will see Halliburton donating industry-leading petroleum engineering software to the Department of Petroleum Engineering at the KNUST, while also providing training support for students and faculty members, and academic research.
The Memorandum of Understanding lays the foundation for Halliburton to provide technical support through the donation of landmark software, training programme for students and faculty members, and support for academic research at KNUST, at a cost of US$15.1 million.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ms Emeafa Hardcastle, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, described the partnership as a strategic investment in Ghana’s future petroleum workforce.
“The Commission is pleased to collaborate with Halliburton on local content initiatives aimed at strengthening capacity development and maximising value creation in Ghana’s upstream petroleum sector, particularly in human resource development,” she said.
She noted that the software donation, training programmes and research support would provide students and lecturers with access to technologies widely used across the global petroleum industry.
For Halliburton, the partnership forms part of its broader commitment to developing local expertise across Africa.
Mr Antoine Berel, Vice President of Halliburton for Sub-Saharan Africa, said investing in Ghanaian talent was critical to building a resilient and competitive energy sector.
“We believe sustainable value creation comes from empowering local institutions with the tools, knowledge and practical experience they need. This collaboration reflects Halliburton’s long-standing commitment to developing local content,” he said.
The agreement establishes a structured framework for knowledge exchange and long-term cooperation between the Petroleum Commission and Halliburton.
It builds on an existing relationship between the two organisations.
A previous MoU, signed in 2019, focused on supporting the capacity development of the Petroleum Commission’s engineering and geoscience staff.
The new partnership expands that collaboration to Ghana’s tertiary institutions, helping create a pipeline of highly skilled professionals for the upstream petroleum industry.
The Petroleum Commission has increasingly positioned capacity building as a key pillar of Ghana’s local content agenda, encouraging international oil and gas companies to invest not only in infrastructure but also in the development of Ghanaian expertise.
The Commission said the partnership would help connect global industry leaders with Ghanaian universities, ensuring that future petroleum engineers graduate with practical experience using internationally recognised technologies while strengthening research and innovation within higher education institutions.
Other officials present at the signing ceremony included Mr Craig Beebee, Senior Business Development Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa North, Halliburton; Ms Paulina Effisah, Government Relations and Local Content Manager, Halliburton; and members of the Executive Management of the Petroleum Commission.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
Writer: Lydia Kukua Asamoah
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