The Great Gas Heist: Ghana’s Precious Resource Goes Up in Smoke

The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) 2023 report sheds light on the persistent issue of gas flaring in Ghana’s oil and gas industry. Despite efforts to reduce flaring, the report reveals that Ghana continues to waste significant amounts of associated gas, posing environmental and economic concerns.

According to PIAC Key findings, Gas flaring increased by 14.5% in 2023, reaching 4.3 billion standard cubic feet (SCF), compared to 3.7 billion SCF in 2022.

Also the Jubilee Field accounted for the majority of gas flared (62%), followed by the TEN Field (31%) and the SGN Field (7%).

The report states that the total volume of gas flared between 2019 and 2023 amounts to 17.4 billion SCF, valued at approximately $1.1 billion.

PIAC attributes the persistent gas flaring to delays in the completion of the Offshore Gas Processing Plant (OGPP) and the lack of adequate infrastructure to transport and utilize the gas.

The report highlights the environmental impacts of gas flaring, including air pollution, health risks, and contributions to climate change.

PIAC urges the government and relevant stakeholders to expedite the completion of the OGPP, develop strategies to utilize associated gas, and enforce regulations to minimize flaring.
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The report also recommends increased transparency and reporting on gas flaring and utilization, as well as community engagement and education on the impacts of gas flaring.

The PIAC report emphasizes the need for urgent action to address gas flaring in Ghana’s oil and gas industry, to mitigate environmental and economic losses and ensure sustainable management of the country’s petroleum resources.

According to the Chairperson Prof. Elizabeth Adayfio Schandorf, a total of 9, 642.66 mmscf of gas was flared during the period which amounts to about 19 percent of all the gas produced from just the TEN field and that of 5, 331.00 was flared from the Sankofa Gye Nuame field. A situation that PIAC is concerned about especially due to our energy transition plans”.

Source:newsghana.com.gh