The Swiss African Oil Company has been awarded a contract for seismic exploration in the Volta Basin.

The company is to do some feasibility studies along the Volta coast to find out if oil can be drilled in the area.

For this reason the Swiss African Oil Company, in collaboration with the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, held a stakeholders engagement to sensitize indigenes along the Coast in the Volta region on the long term benefits they will derive from oil exploration.

MP Dagbi who is the representative to the Swiss African Oil Company said they are currently explaining the process to the people and the benefits that would be derived when the drilling starts.

‘’We have to find the oil before even thinking of drilling which is the seimic exploration so that issues could be addressed on the drilling and any other  issue’’ Mr Dagbui explained.

Swiss African Oil Company exploration and production license to explore and produce petroleum resources in the Keta Delta basin.

The license makes them the legal owners of the Keta Delta block, located in the Volta Region.

The acquisition makes Swiss African Oil the first to explore for oil onshore Ghana.

The Keta Delta block license was awarded following ratification by Parliament of a joint venture between the Government of Ghana, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, and Swiss African Oil Company Limited.

The new block covers an area of 3,000 square kilometers and it is envisaged that the operations would provide employment and stimulate local development in the region.

According to the senior officer of environmental and health safety at the GNPC, Madam Philomena Donkor the consultation is to educate the people on the project and the benefits they will derive from it.

Madam Donkor said that, the turnout was good and the aim was met. She explained that, the fishermen will not be compensated because the exercise is only drilling and this according to her will not affect their work.  

Mad Donkor said that  the people are happy about the process and they hope to have a lasting working relationship with the communities visited

Communities in the Ketu and Keta municipalities with over 700 people took part in the stakeholder’s forum aimed at sensitising the public on the oil exploration.

A member of the delegation from the Swiss oil company who is also a native of Alakple in the Keta municipality Mawuli Aspalin Dagbi said she was impressed by the response of the people and that Volta Region has a lot of resources that needs to be used