Petroleum Commission to establish Technology Transfer Unit in January 2022

This will help in boosting the upstream petroleum industry

Technology transfer is one of the important policy measures government needs to adopt in petroleum production

Ghana needs to collaborate with international oil companies

The Petroleum Commission has revealed that it will, in January 2022 set up a Technology Transfer Unit to boost indigenous capacity in the upstream petroleum industry.

According to the commission, an assessment of its local content policy showed that there were various factors inhibiting technology transfer to indigenous Ghanaian companies and joint ventures.

Chief Executive of the Petroleum Commission, Egbert Faibille, in his address of the opening of the 2021 local content conference in Accra, said, “The Commission realized that urgent steps must be taken to address some challenges hindering the advancement of technology transfer to indigenous Ghanaian companies and joint ventures”.

Ghana’s major commercial production started in 2010, while the modern history of oil and gas started in 1847. This means Ghana has to catch up real fast. To develop the industry faster, technology transfer is one of the important policy measures adopted by the government.

However, the Petroleum Commission says it is taking steps to bridge the gaps that have been created over the years.

This is critical to increasing the country’s competence in core technical areas.

Mr. Faibille reiterated the need to collaborate with International Oil Companies to refute the popular assertion that development of local content capacity is not in the interest of multinational corporations.

“The Petroleum Commission on its part is strengthening existing modalities to champion and accelerate technology transfer in Ghana’s upstream petroleum industry”, he added.

The establishment of the Technology Transfer Unit under the Local Content Directorate of the Petroleum Commission in January 2022 is evidence of his outfit’s resolve to walk the talk and attain the government’s vision for the sector and ultimately create and export future oil and gas technologies, he mentioned.

This year’s conference is themed “Optimising Technology Transfer in Ghana’s Upstream Petroleum Industry.”