Indigenous oil drilling firm, Springfield Group has debunked assertions by the Executive Director of the Africa Centre of Energy Policy (ACEP) Benjamin Boakye that Springfield’s recent appraisal of the Afina field contradicts original claims.

This response comes on the back of statements made by Mr. Boakye in an interview on the sidelines of the ongoing October 2024 International Monetary Fund and World Bank Annual Meetings which suggested that Springfield’s new appraisal report contradicts the original data that was presented to justify the unitization.

Addressing the media, Springfield, led by its Chief Executive, Kevin Okyere explained that the company just started an appraisal programme, hence it has not yet ascertained the needed data which will constitute an appraisal report.

Mr. Okyere furthered that the claims by ACEP are false and should be disregarded.

“There has been recent reports in the media implying that Springfield has completed a recent appraisal of the Afina field and there is some new appraisal report that contradicts the original data that was presented to justify the unitization.”

“This is blatantly false,” he added.

Mr. Okyere announced that Springfield has written to Mr. Boakye to apologise and retract or face a legal suit.

He stressed that “We (Springfield) just commenced implementation of our appraisal programme and we are yet to acquire the relevant data from our appraisal activities, process the said data and submit our appraisal report.”

Background

About five years ago, Springfield Exploration and Production Limited and its Partners, GNPC and EXPLORCO made a huge discovery with the drilling of the Afina-1x Well at their West Cape Three Points Block 2 offshore.

Soon after the discovery, the issue of unitization between Springfield and Eni ensued.

As a result, the appraisal of Afina discovery was deferred pending the determination of the Afina/Sankofa unitization issue.

Following the arbitral tribunal ruling on the unitization dispute, the partners involved in the West Cape Three Points Block 2 offshore were directed by the Petroleum Commission to submit and conduct an appraisal programme in line with the Petroleum Agreement.