A number of local companies providing various services in the oil and gas sector have sprung up over the years. Only a few have been successful in winning contracts because of the lack of exposure.

The Petroleum Commission will be giving some of these firms the opportunity to showcase their goods and services at its latest Trade Mission to Stavanger Norway.

Boosting local content

Under the Commission’s Local Content Regulation, all foreign companies that want to offer goods and services in the oil sector must form a joint venture with Ghanaian companies.

“In our database, we have over 300 Ghanaian companies that are registered with the Petroleum Commission. But many of them have not been so successful in winning contracts because of limited capabilities and lack of finances,” Kwaku Boateng, Director, Local Content at the Petroleum Commission explained to Joy Business.

Mr Boateng expressed hope the Trade Mission would give the 40-member delegation the needed exposure and market in the technology-driven and financially demanding oil and gas sector.

Offshore Northern Seas Conference (ONS 2018)

The Trade Mission has been organized to coincide with the Offshore Northern Seas Conference (ONS 2018) which opens from the August 27 to 30, 2018.

The ONS is global energy meeting place connecting international suppliers, operating companies and decision makers. It takes place every second year in Stavanger, Norway.

“So far nearly 70 companies, most of them Norwegian have expressed interest in meeting their Ghanaian counterparts at the ONS Conference and Exhibition. Most of these companies are in high-tech engineering and subsea operations,” Mr Boateng revealed.

The CEO of the Petroleum Commission, Egbert Faibille Jnr, and Chief Director at the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Lawrence Apaalse would address investors on “Making Ghana an attractive market for investments”.

It would be followed by business to business meetings between the Trade Mission and interested participants at the Ghana session.

Aberdeen Mission

In June this year, the Petroleum Commission led another delegation of Ghanaian businesses to explore opportunities in Aberdeen, Scotland.  

The Petroleum Commission has described that mission as successfully as more investors have expressed interest in doing business with Ghana.