A new fabrication facility for the oil sector has been opened at Sekondi in the Western Region. The yard was built by Tullow Oil to fabricate components for the TEN Project, Ghana’s next major oil development, on land leased from the Ghana Navy.

Work at the site has started on the fabrication of nine anchor piles for Ghana’s second floating production and storage (FPSO) vessel, which will start producing oil from the Tweneboa, Enyenra and Ntomme (TEN) fields in mid-2016.

The 122-tonne, 23 metre high steel cylinders will anchor the FPSO to the seabed, keeping it in place during its lifetime.

Following the completion of the anchor piles in April 2015, the facility will be used to fabricate jumper spools for the TEN Project, which will connect subsea production equipment on the seabed.

General Manager of Tullow Ghana Ltd, Charles Darku, commented: “It’s fantastic to see work has started at this new facility. We are grateful to the Navy for allowing us to lease the land. The TEN Project is making good its local content commitments and I’m very proud that Tullow is leading the first project to fabricate important FPSO components in Ghana.”

Alex Mould, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, said as one of the TEN Partners, his outfit was pleased to be associated with the efforts that the field operator, Tullow was pursuing.

“It is tangible evidence that we are delivering on the commitments made in the TEN Development Plan, approved by the Minister of Energy & Petroleum and also provides Ghana with a sustainable legacy that will support not just the TEN and Jubilee developments, but future oil projects as well. We congratulate all associated with this significant achievement.”

A second new fabrication yard, also commissioned to fabricate components for the TEN Project, will soon open at the Takoradi Port.

Being built by Subsea 7, this facility will be used to fabricate anchor piles for subsea manifolds.

Working in collaboration with the Petroleum Commission, the TEN Project is committed to maximising the amount of work undertaken in Ghana. Earlier this year, module support tools for the FPSO were fabricated by Seaweld Engineering Ltd and Orsam Ltd in Tema and Takoradi, subsea mud mats are currently being fabricated by Harlequin International Ghana Ltd and Accra-based Hydra Offshore Group is supplying engineering services to the project.