The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Commission, Victoria Emeafa Hardcastle, has announced that the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) will commence drilling in the Voltain Basin petroleum block by the first quarter of 2026.
The move is expected to boost Ghana’s petroleum resource base and enhance the country’s attractiveness to global investors.
Madam Hardcastle disclosed during a working visit to Zeal Environmental Technologies, a local petroleum service provider, at its Nyankrom plant in the Shama District of the Western Region on Friday, 29.
She explained that the Petroleum Commission is repositioning Ghana as a competitive investment hub for supermajors in the oil and gas industry while supporting GNPC to begin work on the Voltain Basin.
She challenged indigenous service companies like Zeal to prepare adequately to play a greater role in the petroleum value chain, stressing the need for Ghana to maximise the benefits from the upcoming drilling.
The Petroleum Commission, established by Act 821 of 2011 following the discovery of petroleum in commercial quantities, is mandated to regulate and manage the utilisation of petroleum resources and coordinate upstream petroleum policies. The visit to Zeal Environmental Technologies formed part of efforts to strengthen collaboration with local service providers.
Commending Zeal for its pioneering role in petroleum waste management in Ghana’s offshore industry, Madam Hardcastle urged the company and others to be ready to seize new opportunities that will arise from the Voltain Basin drilling.
The Founder and Board Chairman of Zeal Environmental Technologies, Kwaku Ennin, expressed appreciation for the Commission’s engagement and called on the government to make Ghana’s oil and gas industry more attractive to investors.
