The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) exploration subsidiary Explorco is confident of meeting its third-quarter 2026 drilling target for the Voltaian Basin.
Samuel Opoku Arthur, Managing Director-Explorco, said the company remains on course to spud its first well by September 2026 – having completed critical preparatory phases with contract awards scheduled for conclusion by January next year.
“The Voltaian Basin represents an opportunity for Ghana to build its own operating capability while contributing meaningfully to national energy security,” Mr. Arthur said.
The Voltaian Basin campaign represents a strategic shift for Ghana’s oil and gas sector, a move away from offshore assets toward the largely neglected onshore frontiers. The basin covers approximately 103,600 km², spanning about one-third of Ghana’s landmass across the Northern, Savannah, Bono East, Oti and Ashanti Regions.
Explorco has been established specifically to develop domestic operating capabilities, with the Voltaian Basin serving as its flagship project for this transition.
President John Mahama has put his weight behind the project. This commitment represents government’s most ambitious domestic upstream project and is a critical test of its ability to reverse declining oil production.
This comes as domestic oil production has endured a period of sustained decline, with existing offshore fields approaching depletion and operational inefficiencies taking a toll.
Mr. Arthur said the company is proceeding with or without international partners, citing preliminary geological studies indicating “a strong presence of hydrocarbons in very commercial quantities” for the basin.
The Voltaian Basin project represents the country’s principal near-term prospect for arresting that trend of decline, Mr. Arthur said.
source; bftonline
