Ghana Gas awaits VRA – Kwesi Botchwey

Ghana Gas has announced that it is waiting for the Volta River Authority (VRA) to complete requisite work at the Aboadze Thermal Plant Complex to enable it increase the available generating capacity.

Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, Board Chairman of Ghana Gas, who made this known in a statement released recently, said “once the VRA completes expansion works at its Aboadze Thermal Plant Complex, it will be possible for us to increase our off-take of raw gas from the Jubilee Field’s FPSO Kwame Nkrumah to supply VRA lean gas at the optimal 120 million standard cubic feet per day (120MMSCFD).”

He said Ghana Gas has also taken note of the recent commentary on challenges with Tullow’s FPSO gas export compressor, stating that “we are pleased to note that after a series of intermittent interruptions from the FPSO (spanning from a few minutes to as long as 15 hours), we have since Monday, January 5, 2015, not experienced any compressor trips from the FPSO.”

Dr. Botchwey said, “Our engineers have met Tullow’s engineers to explore ways of averting unwarranted occurrences and we are pleased with the outcome of discussions and resultant actions.

He said the commissioning activities have been successful at the Gas Processing Plant (GPP).

“Since raw gas was introduced into the GPP, operational activities on the offshore pipeline component, the onshore pipeline component including the regulating and metering stations at Esiama and Aboadze have been smooth,” Dr. Botchwey said.

At the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant, a few challenges have been experienced with some minor pieces of equipment or components. These items generally referred to as Punch.

He said work is progressing sturdily to complete the remedial work and corrective fine-tuning of key punch list items prior to the formal handover of the project by the Contractors, Messrs Sinopec to Ghana Gas.

Dr. Botchwey said the GPP is operating satisfactorily to supply VRA with lean gas for power production, and to produce Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), as well as other condensates for the downstream market.

He said “all things being equal, we now expect that the commissioning process will be significantly concluded by the end of January 2015.

“We look forward to the commencement of full and normal operations, which will pave the way for the commencement of phase two of the project, including additional equipment to increase by-product production, the Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) export infrastructure, as well as the onshore pipeline extension from Esiama to the Prestea-Tarkwa mining enclave,” Dr. Botchwey said.