Accra, May 29, GNA – The Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC), the country’s premier midstream gas business company has proven to the world that the African, and for that matter Ghanaians, can change their own destiny.
The company hitherto managed by SINOPEC, a Chinese Company since its inception in 2011, in April 2017, indigenised through a blend of the Board and the vision of the Chief Executive Officer, Dr K.D. Asante and the Management.
The indigenisation process of its plant is one of the major feats chalked by the company as it has saved the country about $3million monthly, a total savings of about $144 million within the last four years.
That evolution has eventually given Ghanaian engineers the full mandate over the operations and maintenance of the processing plant and associate pipeline infrastructure, which initially were being staffed by Chinese engineers.
The fact remained that Nigeria as a country, took 40 years to indigenise after discovering gas, while Trinidad and Tobago took 50 years. However, it took Ghana Gas Company only three years to indigenise, which many maintained is a major achievement that every Ghanaian should pride themselves with.
The GNGC is also trying to beat down the contractual arrangement between Ghana and Nigeria to even lower that contractual volume from 120 million cubic standard (MMcf) per day to 50 MMcf.
This according to the company, is because Ghana is currently producing about 300 million cubic standards of gas valued at 6.08 dollars per MMfc unit a day, which is enough for the country’s domestic consumption. Ghana Gas started a daily production of 16 MMfc in 2015 and shot up to 90 MMcf in 2016.
Mr Kennedy Agyapong, Member of Assin Central and the Board Chairman of GNGC, did not mince his words, when he described the company as “the shining star and an example of a black man can do it too.”
Speaking at the company’s maiden media soirée to mark its 10th anniversary, the Board Chairman said: “So far, you have proven yourself that the black man is capable and when we say the black star of Africa… the shining star… then l will say Ghana Gas is the shining star and an example of a black man can do it too.
“When you look at Ghana Gas today, it is one of the viable government companies in the country,” he said, and commended the CEO for showing a good example for other companies to emulate.
Mr Agyapong said Dr Asante and his team have turned the company from what they knew to be Chinese managed company to purely Ghanaian managed one, showing to the world that he (Dr Asante) believed Ghanaians have the capability to do it also.
He, therefore, urged the team to keep their decent work, adding that “You’re the shining star of Africa for others to emulate…. What l am seeing today tells us that black man, we can make it too”.
The company was established in 2011, upon recommendation of National Gas Development Taskforce for evaluation and treatment of associated gas from the Jubilee Field production and has since been incorporated in July 2011 with the responsibility to build, own and operate infrastructure required for the gathering, processing, transporting, and marketing of natural gas resources in the country.
Workforce
GNGC, with a workforce of professionals and specialists in the field of business, is responsible for gathering, processing, transporting, and selling natural gas liquid for both power and industrial uses.
Vision and Mission
Its vision is supported by three development pillars, namely, Business Development, which encapsulates both operations and maintenance: Human Capacity Development, and Community Engagement.
The mission is to contribute to Ghana’s Gas economic development by providing and operating the infrastructure required for gathering, processing, and delivering natural gas resources, in a safe, cost effective, responsible, and reliable manner to customers.
Dr. Asante, on his part, said Ghana Gas was positioning itself to play a role as a transition fuel handler and supplier, and as well steps in where coal and oil will exit.
He said the Company is expecting more gas from the jubilee field. “We expect that the gas volumes at the Jubilee Field will increase from the current maximum of 150 MMcf to about 450 MMcf per day”.
“We are expecting to use the excess gas in the area of non-power application of gas, so we will definitely feed the thermal plants, but the rest will go into fertilizer production, vehicular transport in the form of compressed natural gas as well as for mineral processing”.
He commended the staff for their dedication to service, which he said had brought the company that far. “In my 30 years’ experience in the sector, I found that most successful professionals in the corporate environment, typically have two key attributes -knowledge and challenging work… and Ghana Gas Staff have both… they have a deep reservoir in the knowledge in petroleum industry in general and gas sector. They are also undoubtedly one of the hardest working staff in the sector.”
He said their vision is to continue to be reliable and trusted gas services company in the country and the Company is looking forward in building and enhancing indigenous intellectual capacity for the sustainability of the industry.
Beside operations, which is a daily routine, the company do regular maintenance for the critical facilities by providing effective and efficient operations and maintenance culture that is compliant to health, safety, security, and environmental standards in codes.
The company is also moving along with all the 16 regions in terms of the provision of social amenities for communities it operates. Through its comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility policy, the company has achieved noteworthy feats in the areas of education, healthcare, water, sanitation, and sports.
Expansion
In its quest to go beyond the initial infrastructure it came to meet, the company is looking at a planned onshore gas pipeline to link Takoradi and Tema, the two critical load centers when it comes to gas in Ghana, to ensure both reliability and availability of the infrastructure to transport gas in bi-directional function between the two cities.
It also intends to expand its gas processing plant to handle the incremental upstream coming from jubilee enclave and plans are underway to award the contract soon.
The company also has plans to install a pipeline between Atuabo, Côte d’Ivoire border to Côte d’Ivoire, which will facilitate bidirectional transportation of gas between the two countries.
Ghana Gas and partners are looking to install pipeline from Prestea through Dawusaso and then to Kumasi to serve the bauxite enclave. The aim is to move thermal generation of power from the coast of the country.
The company has indeed proven that all is not lost. When the right minds are put together for a common purpose, things can be done well for the socio-economic development of the country.
GNA