...gas utilization infrastructure expected in place by Dec 2012
By Kofi Ahovi
Construction work is expected to commence early next year on the first gas infrastructure, including a gas processing plant that would represent a major boost to government’s plan to accelerated infrastructure development in 2012.
A statement issued on last by National Gas Company (Ghana Gas) and signed by Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, Chief Executive, said the Company has signed a Project Implementation Agreement with a Chinese firm, Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corporation, for the development of the early phase gas infrastructure in the Western Region.
Ghana, according to the statement, should have a functioning gas processing plant and infrastructure linking the FSPO Kwame Nkrumah to the processing plant and to Aboadze and Prestea through Esiama by December 2012.
“A lot of work has gone into the process so far and the signing of the agreement is good news for Ghana Gas and the people of Ghana,” Yankey said.
“The team will arrive in Ghana next month, and after reviewing all the technical and construction details, we are confident that the off-shore and on-shore pipelines and the gas processing plant should be ready for inauguration by December 2012.”
Dr Yankey said Sinopec, a highly experienced company that had been involved in the execution of oil and gas projects worldwide, would construct and inaugurate the 150MMSCFD (Millions of standard cubit feet per day) gas processing plant, a 36-kilometre shallow water pipeline from the FPSO to the plant.
It will also construct a 120-kilometre onshore pipeline from the gas processing plant to Aboadze, a 75-kilometre onshore pipeline from Esiama to Prestea, a jetty for the export of natural gas liquids and an operations and control office complex.
Dr Yankey explained that a French company, Technip, has been contracted and was working on the engineering design of the gas processing plant.
He said Intecsea/Worley Parson of Houston, USA, was handling the engineering design of the offshore pipeline from the FSPO to the gas processing plant, which is almost completed.
Sinopec would as part of its contract work on the engineering design of the onshore pipeline to Aboadze and Prestea.
Government’s 2012 budget presented to Parliament last week confirmed its policy of accelerated infrastructure development in line with the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda 2010-2013.
Dr Yankey said the development framework, as spelt out in the budget, “affirms government’s commitment to build better infrastructure as a catalyst for an accelerated economic growth and development”.
He said while the Sinopec agreement would be funded from the China Development Bank's (CDB) facility approved by Parliament in august this year, the Chinese firm would pre-finance the start of work pending the release of funds by the CDB.
“This means that there’ll be no time wasted and we have taken all the necessary steps to ensure that the gas infrastructure is put in place as soon as possible while holding ourselves in readiness for the disbursement of the CDB facility,” Dr Yankey said.
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