Operators of the Tweneboa-Enyenra-Ntomme (TEN) offshore oilfields are in discussions with government to fast-track export of gas for electricity generation ahead of schedule.

The discussions are progressing smoothly and TEN partners are hopeful that work would be expedited to ensure that wet gas in delivered to the gas processing plant at Atuabo ahead of schedule, Mr Charles Darku, Managing Director of Tullow Ghana, has said.

All things being equal, Floating Production Storage Offloading vessel (FPSO) Prof John Evans Atta Mills will begin oil production in the third week of August this year, and production is expected to average a little over 50,000 barrels per day.

Mr Darku explained that according to the TEN Plan of Development, gas export from FPSO Prof John Evans Atta Mills to Atuabo gas plant for processing was to take place 12 months after first oil is poured.

However, he said, considering the critical role gas plays in power generation, it was important to fast-track gas export.

8 Wells to commence production

Mr Graham S. Guy, operations Manager of Tullow, explained that production would commence with eight wells, comprising four oil wells, three water wells and one gas injection well.

3 More wells to be completed in September

According to him, three more wells – made up of one producer and two water wells –are expected to be completed by September to bring the number to 11.

The full field development consists of around 24 wells, comprising a mixture of water injection, gas injection and production wells.

The remaining 13 wells will be drilled after the International Tribunal on the Law of the Seas (ITLOS) gives its final verdict on the boundary dispute between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.

Mr Graham S. Guy said Ghanaian employees constitute 45% of the total workforce on the FPSO Prof John Evans Atta Mills.

According to the lead operator of the TEN fields, the vessel’s integrated facilities are currently undergoing final commissioning and testing before production of first oil.

Mr Graham Guy said a lot of things have been put in place to ensure the challenges with the ‘compressor of FPSO Kwame Nkrumah and the turret would not happen with FPSO John Evans Atta Mills.

He added that, "The great thing about the TEN development is that they had a lot of time to work on it, unlike the Jubilee FPSO, which was described as a fast-tracked project.”

He maintained that, "The FPSO John Evans Atta Mills should also be seen as an efficient infrastructure that has taken into consideration all the problems of the country's first floating and exploration vessel on the Jubilee field".

Shareholders in TEN project

The shareholders in the TEN project are Tullow – 47.185%, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) – 15%, Kosmos Energy – 17%, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation – 17%, and PetroSA - 3.815%.

The FPSO John Evans Atta Mills is a 350-metre long vessel that can produce 80,000 barrels of oil a day at full production and store up to 1.7 million barrels of oil from the Tweneboa-Enyenra-Ntomme (TEN) offshore oilfields.

TEN is expected to produce about 300 million barrels of oil, equivalent to 20 years lifespan of the project, and 80% of the oil would be gas.