Ghana Oil Company Limited (GOIL) is set to commence drilling its first oil well on October 22, 2026, as the company advances plans to enter Ghana’s upstream petroleum sector.
Managing Director of GOIL, Edward Abambire Bawa, says preparations are at an advanced stage, with an operational simulation involving key partners and service providers scheduled ahead of the drilling exercise.
Mr. Bawa disclosed this when the Parliamentary Committee on Energy paid a working visit to GOIL in Accra as part of its oversight responsibilities.
According to him, the simulation, known as an “on-paper drilling” exercise, will bring together the various parties involved in the operation to assess their readiness and simulate the drilling process.
“The on-paper drilling is to bring all the various partners, whether the service provider, to see or to simulate what the drill will look like. That is going to be done on Friday. And after that, the team will be sent to go and drill.”
Mr. Bawa said GOIL had initially planned to undertake the drilling in the first quarter of 2027, but the programme has been brought forward following the unexpected availability of a drilling vessel.
He explained that the vessel had been deployed to support Tullow Oil and E&I with additional wells, but became available after Tullow decided to defer one of its planned drilling operations.
“The vessel became available. And so we had a choice to either let them go and come back later, or we just take advantage of that and drill. So we decided to take advantage of that and do the drilling in the last quarter, which is in October.”
Mr. Bawa expressed confidence that the drilling operation would commence as scheduled on October 22.
“On the 22nd, we are very sure that we’ll go.” Mr Bawa stated.
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