- Ghana's National Petroleum Corporation today has issued 11 new exploration licenses, further expanding the exploration rush off its promising coast. First oil revenues are already planned for 2010.
Large tracts of the Ghanaian coast are already being licensed and explored, with a major discovery by Tullow Oil in 2007 causing a rush of interest. Tullow's discovery, the Jubilee Field, will be put into production next year, representing Ghana's first oil production. But only in March this year, the British oil company made a new discovery on the deepwater Tano licence some 25 kilometres west of Jubilee, which has yet to prove viable.
So far, most exploration has been concentrated on the offshore Côte d'Ivoire border area, but oil companies lately have been expanding their drilling activities to the central and eastern parts of Ghana's offshore territory, where promising geological structures and traces of hydrocarbons keeps optimism up high.
The new licensing round by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation is a continuation of this trend of expanding the exploration area. Ghanaian authorities are eager to make new discoveries as the population's expectations for a new oil economy are rising.
Government has been actively promoting foreign investments in its oil sector, but is also pumping up it National Petroleum Corporation to make sure national capital and labour can take part in the upcoming sector.
As the oil age seems to be coming closer, authorities are now announcing a review of oil and gas policies to avoid similar developments as in Nigeria. Ghanaian Minister for Energy, Joe Oteng-Adjei, only this week called for a review of policies on oil and gas to ensure effective management, guarantee sustainability and protect the environment.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
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