Commercial production of crude oil from the country's second biggest oil field, apart from the Jubilee field, the Tweneaboa Enyenra and Ntomme (TEN) is expected to start from the second week in August.

The proposed time will be influenced by the completion of some critical test runs, reports JOYBUSINESS' George Wiafe who recently joined a team that went on the FSPO.  

In a recent update, issued by Tullow for its investors, the oil exploration firm noted that it hoping to start commercial production in the next three to six weeks.

However from JOYBUSINESS interactions with engineers on the field, this might happen earlier than projected, barring any last minute challenges.  

The head of operations of the TEN development, Graham Guy said a lot of things have been put in place, to ensure the challenges with the Jubilee FPSO 'compressor, and the turret will not happen with FPSO, John Evans Attah Mills.

Mr. Grayham Guy added that "the great thing about the TEN development is that they had a lot of time work on it, unlike the Jubilee FSPO, which was described as a fast track project.

Mr. Guy maintains that "The FPSO John Evans Atta Mills, should also be seen as an efficient infrastructure that has taken into consideration all the problems of the country's first, floating and exploration vessel on the Jubilee field".  

If the TEN field is able to start commercial production from next month, this will go a long way improve the country's daily production of crude and help Ghana move closer to its dream of pushing Ghana, close its dream of fully fielding oil industry in the region.  

It was expected that the TEN field would start exporting gas to the Atuabu gas processing plant, for power generation and domestic consumption, when it begins commercial production.

But Chief Executive of Tullow Oil Ghana, Charles Darko says that is not the case.

He said per the original plan, according to the development plan sent to government, they are supposed to start exporting gas to the Atuabo gas processing plant 12 months after it starts commercial production.

Mr Darko told JOYBUSINESS they are however working to ensure they start before, the proposed date.  

The Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Alex Mould, also told JOYBUSINESS he is excited by the state of art, measuring system on the FSPO.

Mr Mould said this will go a long way to giving an accurate account of every export as every drop is accounted for.

Some analyst also say this will help, in payment of taxes in the future.

The Tweneaboa Enyenra and Ntomme, which is a development, three oil and gas fields, is located around 60 kilometers off the coast of the Western Region.  

The vessel that will be used to collect, process and store crude oil extracted front the TEN field and named after the late President John Atta Mills is 350 meters in length and 56 meters in width and can accommodate 120 people.

It has a storage capacity of 1.7 million barrels of crude.