Construction work on the country’s first Gas infrastructure including the Gas Processing plant is expected to commence early next year.This is part of government’s plan of accelerated infrastructure development in 2012. The gas infrastructure would link the FPSO to the processing plant and to Aboadze and Prestea through Esiama. The Ghana National Gas Company has signed a Project Implementation Agreement with a Chinese firm, Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corporation for the development of the early phase gas infrastructure. The Sinopec Group is China’s leading Oil and Gas Company with an annual turnover of $288.9 billion and listed as the 5th company of the Global Fortune 500 Companies. According to a statement issued by the Gas Company, Sinopec will work on the engineering design of the on shore pipe line to Aboadze and Prestea. “A lot of work has gone into the process so far and the signing of the agreement is good news for Ghana Gas and the people of Ghana. The team will arrive in Ghana next month, and after reviewing all the technical and construction details we are confident that the offshore and Onshore pipelines and the gas processing plant should be ready for inauguration by December 2012” Dr. Yankey stated. A highly experienced company that has been involved in the execution of oil and gas projects worldwide, Sinopec Will construct and commission the 150 MMSCFD Gas Processing Plant, a 36-kilometre shallow water offshore pipeline from FPSO to the Plant, a 120-kilometre onshore pipeline from the gas processing plant to Aboadze, a 75-kilometre onshore pipeline from Esiama to Prestea, a jetty for the export of natural gas liquids and and operations and control office complex. French company, Technip has also been contracted to work on the engineering design of the gas processing plant whilst Intecsea/Worley Parson of Houston, USA, is handling the engineering design of the offshore pipeline from the FPSO to the gas processing plant, which is almost complete. While the project will be funded from the China Development Bank (CDB) facility approved by Parliament in August this year, the Chinese firm will pre-finance the start of work pending the release of the funds by the CDB. “This means that there’ll be no time wasted, and we have taken all the necessary steps to ensure that the gas infrastructure is put in place as soon as possible while holding ourselves in readiness for the disbursement of the CDB facility”, Dr. Yankey added.