Ghana’s Petroleum Commission woos E&P investors at AOW Energy
The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana’s Petroleum Commission, Emeafa Hardcastle, has announced a planned $200 million seismic data acquisition program designed to de-risk Ghana’s offshore and onshore basins and attract new exploration and production (E&P) investors.
Speaking during a fireside conversation with AOW Energy’s Paul Sinclair, Hardcastle emphasized that Ghana is shifting decisively from mere policy rhetoric to data-driven action.
The strategy aims to accelerate exploration, optimize production from mature fields, and open frontier basins to international operators over the next 12 to 18 months.
Hardcastle stated that high-quality, accessible seismic data across the Tano Cape Three Points, Accra-Keta, Saltpond, and Voltaian basins represents the ultimate gateway to long-term success for the nation’s upstream sector.
“The prospects are based on the perspective that seismic data is the gateway to long-term success. E&P investors require quality and extensive data coverage for exploration. The availability of petroleum data reduces exploration duration, cuts geological risk, and acts as a definitive catalyst for investment attraction,” Hardcastle asserted.
To bridge historical data gaps, the Petroleum Commission has approved the acquisition of multi-client 3D seismic data spanning 35,900 square kilometers.
The data breakdown includes 12,000 square kilometers in the Tano Cape Three Points Basin, 13,900 square kilometers in the Accra-Keta Basin, and 10,000 square kilometers in the Saltpond Basin.
The CEO estimated that a total investment exceeding $200 million is required to fully close the state’s offshore data gaps. To fund this, the commission is utilizing a mix of state funding, public-private partnerships (PPPs), and private sector-led multi-client surveys.
Concurrently, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has completed Phase 3 of its 2D seismic data acquisition over the 100,000-square-kilometer Voltaian Basin, adding 1,655 line kilometers to its database.
“We now have extensive 2D and 3D coverage. That coverage has given us a far more detailed understanding of our offshore potential, and it enables us to talk confidently to operators,” Hardcastle noted.
Highlighting technical breakthroughs in subsurface clarity, Hardcastle pointed to the commencement of the first-ever Ocean Bottom Node (OBN) survey over the mature Jubilee and TEN fields by Tullow Oil and its partners.
The OBN campaign follows a comprehensive 4D streamer survey completed in the first quarter of 2025, signaling deep operator confidence in the long-term asset value of Ghana’s waters.
Onshore, Hardcastle revealed that the Voltaian Basin is transitioning directly from conceptual evaluation into active exploration, with five corporate entities already holding active exploration licenses.
Newly analyzed geochemical data indicating the presence of methane, ethane, propane, and butane has significantly de-risked the onshore petroleum system. Consequently, GNPC Explorco is preparing to commence drilling operations and is actively seeking technically and financially sound farm-in partners to scale the project.
Hardcastle confirmed that the AOW Energy conference in September 2026 will serve as the primary hub for Ghana’s global investment pitch. To facilitate immediate investment decisions, the Petroleum Commission will host accessible data rooms, dedicated technical basin sessions for the Accra-Keta, Saltpond, and Voltaian structures, and structured government-to-investor matching meetings.
“AOW is not a talk shop. Companies are not just attending a conference; they will network with relevant stakeholders to review live, available data to make informed business decisions,” he said.
The summit is expected to attract over 30 African governments presenting upstream opportunities, effectively positioning Accra as a regional convergence point for the global energy industry.
Addressing ongoing regulatory reforms, the CEO stated that Ghana is in an active and constructive phase of reviewing its fiscal terms to improve regional competitiveness without sacrificing national value.
“There is a more positive and pragmatic mood. We expect increased exploration activity, more investment, more discoveries, and new Petroleum Agreements over the next 12 to 18 months,” he added.