Ghana Oil has no name

With just three months to the date officialdom has given for the first barrel of oil from the Jubilee Oil Fields to be poured, Ghana’s premium oil is yet to be given its brand name to be sold on the international market.

Government officials have consistently maintained Ghana is on schedule to deliver on that promise. It would be recalled that the Energy Ministry a few months ago advertized for inputs from members of the general public for a brand name for Ghana’s oil.

In an interview with Asempa News, Public Relations Officer of the Energy Ministry, Edward Bawa said his outfit has so far received about 40 proposals from individuals and institutions on the brand name for Ghana’s oil. Mr. Bawa says the ministry is collating the proposals and will come out at the opportune time.

A policy think tank, IMANI Ghana, had raised concerns about the cost of the FPSO, the vessel that would store the oil dug from the rigs, which they claimed was leased to the country. But when asked whether Ghana owns the FPSO, Mr Bawa could not tell whether the FPSO is owned by the country or was leased.

Ghana is expected to drill its first barrel of commercial oil from the Jubilee Oil fields in the last quarter of this year.