Foreign oil companies and their equipment have started docking at the Takoradi Harbour in readiness for full scale operations as Ghana gets closer to the production of oil in commercial quantities. Oil rig repair companies, which are said to be based in Nigeria, are also making feverish preparations to relocate to Ghana because they find the country more conducive for their activities. During a visit to the Takoradi Harbour, the Daily Graphic team saw increased activity, with some foreign nationals working for Songa Offshore, an organisation that has been contracted by Kosmos Oil, servicing their oil drilling machines, which, according to them, would be sent offshore to drill more oil wells. "There is so much potential for oil production here. Ghana is brand new in the oil business," Jan-Petter Nilssen, Logistics Supervisor of Songa Offshore, told the Daily Graphic. The Acting Director of Ports, Takoradi, Mr Charles Cyril-Nettey, told the Daily Graphic that there had been negotiations with oil rig repair companies, which have expressed interest in setting up in the country. He indicated that some of them had been allocated land and other facilities at the port to enable them to operate effectively and efficiently. "They are coming on a daily basis and it is like a rush situation and that is good for Takoradi," he stated. He said as a result of the rush, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) had been instituting measures to ensure that the Takoradi Port was ready for the emerging oil industry in the country. He said all over the place, the excitement and activity generated by the oil find could be felt, adding that those developments were good for Takoradi in particular and the country as a whole. Mr Cyril-Nettey explained that the management of the port had reviewed its security set-up and merged its security unit with the safety unit in a move to make them more efficient and effective. While admitting the fact that operations offshore imposed some security challenges, he gave the assurance that efforts were being made in collaboration with the Western Naval Command to ensure that adequate security was provided. "We already have joint patrols with the Navy and with the new developments, the co-operation is even going to be stronger," he stated. Source: Daily Graphic