Tullow Ghana Limited, an operator of the Jubilee Oil Field, says it will not be flaring gas during the two-week period that the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant will be shut down for routine maintenance.

A statement signed by Tullow’s Director, External Affairs and Social Performance, Merene Benyah, and copied to the B&FT said the gas will rather be re-injected into the gas reservoir.

“Tullow as the operator of the Jubilee Field will not be flaring gas during this period. While the gas processing plant is on shutdown, the gas that would have been exported onshore to the plant will be re-injected into the gas reservoir.”

The statement explained that Tullow will take advantage of the gas processing plant’s shutdown to undertake a gas compression shutdown on the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah and install new equipment - adding that an Environmental Protection Agency permit has been secured to flare up to 80mmscf of gas per day during the operation, which is expected to last only three days.

Ghana Gas announced the temporary closure of Atuabo Gas Processing Plant to all its stakeholders on January 3.

The Plant, which processes natural gas from the Jubilee oil field for onward transmission to the various thermal plants in the Aboadze power enclave, was planned to shut-down from Friday January 15 for routine maintenance.

“The planned maintenance, the second since lean gas and associated liquids production began at Atuabo, is expected to last approximately 14 calendar days. The plant has been in operation for more than 8,000 hours since last year.”

The current maintenance is a periodic requirement by original equipment manufacturers and vendors for the maintenance of certain critical components in the gas processing plant.

The move is also to facilitate warranty assurance on the installed equipment, and the validity of our operating insurance cover.

According to Ghana Gas it is constantly engaged with all relevant stakeholders: including “the Volta River Authority (VRA), the primary downstream lean gas off-taker, the other product off-takers, as well as the upstream gas supplier, Tullow Ghana Limited, to ensure smooth implementation and completion of the planned maintenance works”.