Mahama Can’t Claim Credit For Eni’s Eban-Akoma Oil Discoveries -Minority

The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Minority Caucus in Parliament says the Mahama government cannot claim credit for the commercial viability of oil that have been discovered by Eni’s Eban-Akoma at Cape Three Points in the Western region.

In a statement issued in Accra yesterday, the Caucus said it has been compelled to go public to clarify the earlier statement issued by the sector minister, John AbulaiJinapor, becauseof “the lies, twists and cheap political potshots contained in the Jinapor’s statement”. The following is the full statement.
The attention of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Minority Caucus in Parliament has been drawn to a statement issued by the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition dated 4th July, 2025.

The said statement with the subject: DECLARATIONOF COMMERCIALITY FOR EBAN-AKOMA DISCOVERIES MARKS MAJOR MILESTONE IN GHANA’S UPSTREAM PETROLEUM SECTOR represents a failed and shambolic attempt to credit the Mahama administration with success it has no hand in. Part of the statement under reference said “…Hon. John Abdulai Jinapor, Minister for Energy and Green Transition described the declaration as a clear testament to the Government’s commitment to the sustainable development of Ghana’s hydrocarbon resources…

This milestone underscores the Government’s unwavering commitment to fostering a transparent, investor friendly, and resilient energy sector that delivers long term value for the Ghanaian people.”
Considering the lies, twists and cheap politicalpotshots contained in the Statement, the Minority is compelled to react as follows:

a. Eni Ghana, following approval by the Petroleum Commission under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration drilled a well-known as the Akoma-1X Well in the Cape Three Points-Block 4 Contract Area in 2019; and announced a discovery of gas and condensate from that Well on 9th May, 2019 with a further additional upside for gas and oil that will require further drilling to be confirmed. Eni’s Press Release announcing the Akoma Discovery was published at its website on 9th May, 2019 with the subject: ENI ANNOUNCES AKOMA DISCOVERY IN CTP-BLOCK 4, OFFSHORE GHANA on its website with the link being; https://www.eni.com/en-IT/media/press-release/2019/05/eni-announces-akoma-discovery-in-ctp-block-4-offshore-ghana.html

b. On 6th July, 2021, Eni once again announced asignificant discovery of oil following its drilling of another well known as the Eban-1X. The Eban Discovery, thus became the second discovery by Eni within two years. Eni published the Eban Discovery at its website on 6th July, 2021 with the link as: https://www.eni.com/en-IT/media/press-release/2021/07/eni-announces-significant-discovery-block-ghana.html

c. It is instructive to note that both the Akoma and Eban Discoveries were made under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration; and were among other discoveries made under that administration as a result of a deliberate plan for reserve replacement.

d. The Akoma and Eban Discoveries were all made within Cape Three Points-Block 4 Contract Area under the Cape Three Points (CTP) Block 4 Petroleum Agreement.

e. Eni, as required by the CTP Block-4 Petroleum Agreement formally issued two separate Notices of Discovery to the then Ministry of Energy, the Petroleum Commission and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation.

f. These discoveries were also announced or published by sections of the Ghanaian media.

g. As provided for in the CTP-Block 4, Petroleum Agreement, Eni; to meet its obligation to conduct appraisals of each of the two discoveries (Akoma and Eban) requested the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration to be permitted to effect a single but joint appraisal (instead of two separate appraisals for each of the two discoveries) of the two discoveries to save costs and also fast track the appraisal programme to result in a shorter field development to production cycle in the event that the discoveries are found to be commercial upon appraisal.

The Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration, as part of its commitment to speed up the processes involved in bringing Ghana’s hydrocarbon resources to the surface quickly and to avert stranded resources in light of the Energy Transition; gave approval to Eni to undertake a joint but single appraisal programme in respect of the Eban-Akoma Discoveries; which discoveries are now known as the Eban-Akoma Complex. That approval was issued by a letter to Eni by the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration dated 28th July, 2022.

h. It is therefore dishonest, disingenuous and a palsy of truth for the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition to project or suggest as it sought to do perits statement under reference.

i. Subsequent to the approval of Eni’s Eban-Akoma Appraisal Programme by the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration, Eni has undertaken Appraisal(s) of the Eban-Akoma Discoveries and come to the conclusion that the two Discoveries are commercial enough to merit investments for field development and production.

j. What has simply taken place is that; following a successful outcome of a prior approved Appraisal of the Eban-Akoma Discoveries, Eni has as is required of it under the CTP-Block 4 Petroleum Agreement informed the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition of its determination that the Discoveries are commercial and can be produced; upon a later approval of a Plan of Development.

k. The Minority wonders how the Mahama administration that had nothing to do with the drilling of the Akoma and Eban Exploration Wells; as well as approval of the Appraisal Programme of the two Discoveries, will all of a sudden claim that the results of an Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration approved Appraisal Programme that has resulted in declaration of commerciality are a credit to it.

l. In Ghana’s upstream petroleum industry, it is a Contractor/Operator that has the duty of informing the State of the outcome of any approved appraisal programme. That is what Eni did recently. The Mahama administration, for self-serving purposes has sought to covet this normal reporting to a fanfare whose cause is attributable to it even though it is barely 7 months in office. The Mahama administration ought to learn that the upstream sector requires a lot of patience and deliberate planning whose results are not attainable in such non-existent record times as it has disingenuously sought to communicate on the premises of statements of doubtful validity.

m. For the record, the Minority wishes to inform the Mahama administration that the following discoveries were made during the eight (years) of the Akufo-Addo Bawumia administration:

Name of Discovery	Operator		Year	Initial Estimated Volumes
Pecan South East	Aker		2018	10 million barrels of oil
Nyankom-1X	AGM		2019	168 million barrels of oil
Afina-1X	Springfield		2019	150-300 million barrels of oil
Akoma-1X	Eni		2019	Eban-Akoma Complex: 500 and 700 million barrels of oil equivalent
Eban-1X		Eni	2021
Aprokuma- 1X(Albian and Cenomanian	Eni		2022	Estimation in progress

 

 

n. The above Table showing the discoveries will reveal that between between 2018 and 2022, a total of 7 discoveries out of 6 six wells drilled were made. Eni’s Aprokuma 1X Well resulted in two discoveries at what the the Geoscientists call the Albian Level and the Cenomanian Level; hence the count of 7 discoveries out of 6 Wells that were drilled under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration.

o. Let the Mahama administration take note that these 7 discoveries cannot be ‘appropriated’ by it as having occurred under its watch.

p. The NPP’s record in the development of Ghana’s hydrocarbon resources is one that is enviable and evidenced by reforms to the upstream sector’s fiscal regime from the Kufuor administration and the historic discoveries under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration.

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