Oil Drilling Resumes in Jubilee and OCTP Fields



Ghana’s upstream petroleum sector has received a major boost as Tullow Ghana Ltd and Eni Ghana resume drilling operations in the Jubilee and Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) fields, respectively. This renewed activity follows the approval of the two drilling programmes by the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition and the Petroleum Commission.

The drilling restart is being hailed as a strong signal of investor confidence in Ghana’s energy landscape, which had seen a slowdown in upstream activity in recent years. The two campaigns are expected not only to sustain oil production but also improve operational efficiency across the respective oil fields.

Tullow has contracted the Noble Venturer Drillship, already in Ghanaian waters, to drill the JBE-P well in the Jubilee South-East area. This Full Field Development well is projected to take 60 days to complete, with an average initial production of 2,800 barrels of oil per day (bopd) in Q3 2025, ramping up to 4,500 bopd by 2026. The rig will undergo a Special Periodic Survey afterward and is expected to return in Q4 2025 to continue Tullow’s two-year programme.

Eni’s campaign focuses on the SNKE-1X ST2 well, a side-track to an existing well targeting the Cenomanian reservoir in the Sankofa field. This move is set to enhance oil recovery over several years starting from the fourth quarter of 2025.

The Saipem Deep Value Driller, a 7th Generation state-of-the-art drillship, has been deployed for the Eni operations. It arrived in Ghana on May 28, 2025, from Côte d'Ivoire and commenced operations almost immediately—part of coordinated efforts between the government and contractors to minimize downtime and cut costs.

Historically, Tullow and Eni have drilled 50 and 21 wells respectively, with the upcoming campaigns expected to add an estimated 7.9 million and 6.2 million stock tank barrels (MMstb) of recoverable oil by the end of the licenses.

The Ministry and the Petroleum Commission are committed to ensuring that the new wells are executed with high environmental standards, safety protocols, and cost efficiency. Prior to the drilling campaigns, both companies, in collaboration with regulatory bodies, carried out extensive stakeholder engagements across Ghana’s coastline involving around 1,000 local fishermen and leaders to foster community collaboration.

Officials say the restart reflects international trust in Ghana’s new energy policies and reinforces the country’s geological potential despite ongoing global transitions in the energy space.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chieftaincy Crisis: Ngleshie Alata Chiefs Reject Imposed Mantse

Image
The Ngleshie Alata Traditional Council has strongly condemned the recent induction of Prince Asharku-Bruce Quaye, also known as Oblempong Wetse Kojo II, as the Ngleshie Alata Mantse. Speaking on behalf of the council, Nii Ofei III, Divisional Chief of Kokrobitey, alleged that the induction was carried out unlawfully by the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs without the knowledge or involvement of the traditional council. According to Nii Ofei III, the process of installing a chief follows clear constitutional and customary guidelines, which were blatantly disregarded in this case. He accused the registrar of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs and its president, Oboade Notse King Professor Odaifio Welentsi III, of collaborating to impose Prince Asharku-Bruce Quaye on the traditional council. “This induction was conducted in secrecy. We only became aware of it after a letter circulated about a meeting between the Greater Accra Regional Minister and the Regional House of Chief...
Read more

Royal Jamong Family Raises Alarm Over Alleged Political Interference in Bunkpurugu Chieftaincy Dispute

Image
The Royal Jamong Family of Bunkpurugu has expressed deep concern over what it describes as political interference by Vice President Dr. Mahamud Bawumia and the NPP parliamentary candidate for Bunkpurugu, Mr. Solomon N. Boar, in the ongoing chieftaincy dispute surrounding the Bunkpurugu skin. In a strongly-worded statement, the family accused the two politicians of exerting undue pressure on the National House of Chiefs, a move that they believe undermines the integrity of the chieftaincy institution. The family pointed to recent comments made by Abuba, who claimed that his uncle, Vice President Bawumia, had promised to ensure that a pending judgment in the chieftaincy case would be delayed indefinitely. This, the Royal Jamong Family warned, is a "sad development and a recipe for disaster." The family has also documented Mr. Boar's activities, including a recent trip to Accra with Abuba to meet the Vice President. This has led the family to question the motivations behind ...
Read more

Electrochem’s Ada Salt Deal in Jeopardy

Image
The 15-year mining lease agreements for Electrochem Ghana Limited, a private salt mining company to mine salt on the Ada Songhor Lagoon appears to be in jeopardy with the withdrawal of consent to the agreement by the allodia owners of the lagoon.  The latest blow to Electrochem which is owned by Daniel McKorley, Chief Executive Officer of the McDan Group of Companies is the withdrawal of consent by Nene Korley IV who is the Divisional Chief and Clan-head of the Tekperbiawe Clan of the Ada Traditional Area.  In a letter written to Mr. McKorley through his lawyers A-F Amissah & Wood Solicitors and Barristers Consultants dated 11th February 2025 and titled, “Letter of Withdrawal of Consent to Electrochem’s Dealing With the Songor Lagoon”, Nene Korley IV cited thuggery, insecurity in Ada, violation of rights of the indigenes and locals among others as the reasons for his withdrawal of consent to the company’s dealings with the Songor lagoon. The letter which was copied NENE AB...
Read more