Scotland Takes Aim at Ghanaian Gas as Own Industry Suffers

A Scottish oil and gas delegation will visit Ghana to seek potential partners for oil and gas projects, the British High Commission of Accra said on January 12.

In a press release published on the UK government website, it was announced that the delegation of 14 companies, all involved in the oil and gas industry, would visit Ghana on January 21 and 22. The companies include Core Specialist Services Ltd, Plexus, RigNet, and Zenith Energy. The delegation is being lead by Scottish Development International, the international economic development arm of the Scottish government.

"I am delighted to be bringing such a large trade delegation from Scotland, all of whom are interested in helping to develop and build the Ghanaian oil and gas industry for the benefit of its citizens," Gary Soper, Accra-based Regional Manager for Africa for Scottish Development International, said in the press release. "Sub sectors represented include education and training; subsea engineering; winches; electrical product distribution; well construction and engineering services; and remote communications systems to name but a few."

The press release also said that on the visit, the delegation would be seeking local partners who were interested in "enhancing their own offer" by working with a Scotland-based company.

Scotland has traditionally had one of the strongest oil and gas track records in Europe, with some 50 years of exploration, production, and operation in the UK North Sea. However, in recent years, the industry has faced a substantial down turn, with thousands of job losses and massive loss of revenue reported across the Scottish fossil fuel sector. 

Most recently, on January 12, major North Sea producer and explorer BP said that it would cut 600 contractor roles from its North Sea workforce, a reduction of 20% of the total workforce.