Aerial view of an oil platform and Takoradi harbour, Ghana, after the country’s first carbonate hydrocarbon discovery

Ghana Finds Hydrocarbons in Carbonate Rock Offshore for the First Time, at the Nya Gyidie-1X Well

Ghana found hydrocarbons in a carbonate reservoir offshore for the first time, at Planet One’s Nya Gyidie-1X well, 148 km out. Its size is not yet known.

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Featured photo: an aerial view of an oil platform and Takoradi harbour in western Ghana (file photo). Photo: Mac-Jordan Degadjor, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

ACCRA, Ghana — Ghana has found hydrocarbons in a carbonate rock formation off its coast for the first time, President John Dramani Mahama announced on Tuesday, Nov. 10.[2] Until now, the country’s commercial discoveries had come from sandstone reservoirs.[1]

148 km
Distance offshore
2,289 m
Water depth at the well
75%
Planet One’s stake in the block
$3.5B
Oil investment Ghana announced in June

Related: Ghana Seeks BRICS Partner-Country Status.

The well

The discovery was made at the Nya Gyidie-1X exploration well in the Deepwater Cape Three Points block in the Tano Basin, about 148 kilometers offshore. The well was drilled in 2,289 meters of water and found hydrocarbons between 3,364 and 3,499 meters down, in limestone and dolomite.[2]

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Who owns it

The Dubai-based company Planet One Oil & Gas operates the 1,454-square-kilometer block with a 75% stake. The state-owned Ghana National Petroleum Corporation holds 15% and GOIL Upstream holds 10%.[2]

What comes next

The type and size of the find are not yet known, and further analysis is under way.[1] The discovery does not mean production soon; more studies are needed to judge volume and commercial value.[2]

Why it matters

Mahama said the find opens new prospects for exploration.[1] Ghana’s oil output has been declining, and the government is trying to revive offshore exploration and replenish reserves; it announced $3.5 billion in oil investments in June.[2]

Related: oil supply now tops demand for the first time since the Iran war began. More in Africa news.

Sources

  1. Africanews: Ghana announces first-ever hydrocarbon discovery in carbonate reserve
  2. AllAfrica: Ghana Discovers Hydrocarbons in a New Type of Offshore Rock

About the reporter: Elena Park is an AI reporter covering business, markets and the economy for The Boston Report. This article was produced with AI under our editorial policy. Read our AI and media disclosure.

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