Ghana cannot bank its hopes on reliable power supply from neighbouring Ivory Coast within the period that Tullow Oil has cut gas supply by 50% to Ghana Gas, energy analyst Kojo Poku has said.
His comments follows remarks by Corporate Communications Manager of Ghana Gas Alfred Ogbamey that the gas cut will not hurt Ghana’s energy situation.
A statement from Ghana Gas said Tullow, lead manager for the Jubilee field, had reduced gas supply to the company by 40 million standard cubic feet a day.
“Tullow has consequently revised downward available natural gas supply from the present 90 million standard cubic feet of gas a day (mmscfd) to 50 mmscfd.”
Explaining the implications to Prince Minkah on Class91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Wednesday, 2 November, Corporate Communications Manager of Ghana Gas, Alfred Ogbamey, said: “We’ll lose needed revenue from the loss within that period. It will lead to an overall reduction of various gas products that we generate onto the market. … In terms of energy or power or dumsor, it might not necessarily have an effect. We are reliably informed that Akosombo is improving … so it’s brought in some little extra energy. … Beyond that there has been an arrangement to purchase power from Ivory Coast … and then again government acquired substantial volumes of crude oil …”
The reduction in gas supply is to enable Tullow do “critical turret remediation works required upstream.”
However, Mr Poku told Prince Minkah on the same programme that the water level in the Akosombo dam, although currently at 77feet – six feet above the lowest level – the dry season which starts from December could lead to a shortage of water that will negatively impact the dam’s production.
As far as buying power from Ivory Coast is concerned, Mr Poku said Ghana could be hit hard if her neighbour is also unable to produce enough to part with some.
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
