Editorial: Onshore drilling in 2026 doubted by CSOs

As the state prepares to drill its first onshore exploration well in the Voltaian Basin around October 2026, some civil society groups believe this proposed exploration lacks the clarity and technical assurance needed for such a major undertaking.

Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson disclosed this during presentation of the 2026 Budget Statement recently and it comes against the backdrop of a sharp fall in national crude output.

In fact, production has plunged from 71.4 million barrels in 2019 to a projected 36 million barrels next year – a decline that has weakened petroleum revenues and heightened pressure on policymakers.

In taking “decisive action” to arrest the downward trend, Dr. Forson pointed to the Voltaian Basin – a vast 104,000-square-kilometre stretch considered one of the country’s most ambitious exploration prospects – as central to that strategy.

Early assessments, he said, show promise and the state is pushing ahead. “The prospects look good to expand Ghana’s hydrocarbon production.”

Meanwhile, civil society groups argue that the shifting timelines, lack of visible progress and the resources already sunk into the basin raise serious questions about GNPC’s preparedness.

GNPC earlier indicated at the 2024 Local Content Conference and Exhibition in Takoradi that drilling would begin in 2025. At that event, GNPC’s Manager for Exploration and Appraisal, Michael Aryeetey, described the basin as a potential “game-changer” capable of unlocking sizable hydrocarbon reserves.

Policy Lead on Oil and Conventional Energy at the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) Kodzo Yoatse, reacting to latest announcements on the project, said confidence has waned rather than grown. “The Corporation has spent over US$120million on that basin over the years with nothing concrete to show.”

Rather, Mr. Yoatse is convinced that the state should urgently reclaim idle petroleum blocks and reallocate them to qualified exploration and production companies to demonstrate serious commitment to reversing the downward production trend.

While ACEP raises doubts about GNPC’s preparedness, others are turning attention to feasibility of the basin itself – especially its timeline for contributing to national output. For instance, the latest assessment by the Africa Sustainable Energy Centre (ASEC) maintains that even if drilling begins in 2026, the basin will not add to national output in the near-term.

“Commercial production from the Voltaian Basin is not feasible before 2033–2036. While it remains a long-term strategic asset, it cannot be the country’s answer to current fiscal pressure,” ASEC notes.

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