The dispute between Ghana and Ivory Coast over the oil-rich C100 maritime space lying between the two countries has worsened.

Ivory Coast has renewed efforts to claim that space.

Both countries are claiming ownership of the territory with about 2 billion barrels of oil reserves and another 1.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

In April this year, Ivory Coast announced it had struck oil on a block off Ivory Coast and adjacent to Ghana’s Jubilee Field, prompting fears the development would aggravate the dispute between the two countries.

Ivorian delegation is holding talks in Ghana with their Ghanaian counterparts at the instance of regional block, ECOWAS.

On Tuesday, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini revealed to Joy News that Ivory Coast has intensified its claim over the C100 area which extends to the Tano Basin and the Jubilee Field.

But Ghana is contesting that claim. Meanwhile both countries are prospecting for oil, he stated.

Ghana has delimited the country’s land boundary with Ivory Coast, but the Minister conceded that Ghana “has not been able to delimit our maritime boundaries” with the neighbouring country.

According to Alhaji Fuseini, there are many principles that could be adopted to define the boundary.

Ghana, he said, chose “equator principle but Ivory Coast think otherwise”.

He reiterated that while Ghana is carrying out activities in that area, Ivory Coast is doing same,noting that a joint team will visit the land boundary – Boundary Post 55 (BP55) - to establish the geographical boundary.  

“We are trying to resolve it peacefully; if we succeed, then that ends it,” Alaji Fuseini said.