Ghana to flare gas at the jubilee field?

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January 12, 2016 4:34 PM

The National gas processing plant is expected to be shut down between January 15 and 22 to undergo mandatory maintenance.

Energy policy think tank KITE Ghana is demanding the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) makes public the quantity of gas it has sanctioned to be flared at the jubilee field following the planned mandatory shut down of the Ghana Nation Gas company.

Ghana Gas is currently processing some 105 million standard cubic feet of gas before onward supply to the primary downstream lean gas off-taker the Volta River Authority.

According to the Executive Director of KITE Ghana, Ishmael Agyekum-Hene, “there are two options available to the player, they either flare gas or reinject it into the wells. We know the implications of reinjection, it means we will compromise the integrity of the wells and it could affect the volumes of crude we can produce.”

Despite Ghana’s no flaring policy, government and the EPA have sanctioned the lead operator on the jubilee field, Tullow Ghana to flare gas on certain occasions in the past.

In May 2014, delays in completing the construction of the gas processing plant led to an approval for Tullow Ghana to flare 500 Million standard cubic (mmscf) feet of gas per month until the end of October 2014.

In July 2015, Tullow Ghana is reported to have flared 1,500 million standard cubic feet of gas following a breakdown of a compressor on FPSO Kwame Nkrumah. The lead operator on the jubilee field cut crude production at the time by 27,000 barrels per day despite the approval.

According to the deputy minister of petroleum Benjamin Dagadu , Tullow was producing only 76,000 barrels a day to the challenges.

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