Ghana crude oil output hit five-year low in 2023, state committee says
By Maxwell Akalaare Adombila
ACCRA, May 21 (Reuters) -Ghana's crude oil output fell to a five-year low in 2023 as production stalled in all fields, cancelling gains from new wells, a state committee tracking petroleum revenue said on Tuesday.
Output fell almost 7% last year, the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) said in a report, dragging down petroleum revenue in a country battling its worse economic crisis in a generation.
Ghana, the world's second biggest cocoa producer, became an oil producer in 2010. Output is currently around 160,000-170,000 barrels-per-day of crude oil and about 325 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas.
The West African nation has three producing oil fields operated by Eni ENI.MI, Tullow TLW.L, and Kosmos KOS.N, among others.
PIAC said weaker output was observed across Ghana's three fields, sustaining annual declines that started in 2019 after production peaked.
Ghana made $1.43 billion from crude oil sales and taxes in 2023, over 25% less than the previous year.
"The decline in revenues can be attributed to an interplay of lower production volumes and relatively lower international crude oil prices," PIAC said.
The report also raised concerns about rising production costs in the three fields.
Despite its huge potential for hydrocarbons, Ghana has not added to its active fields since May 2017, leaving many reserves trapped.
Norway's Aker Energy postponed plans to develop its Pecan oilfield while Ghana's Springfield and Italy's ENI are in court over another discovery.
Ghana's gas production rose 0.63% last year, the PIAC report said.
Said Boakye, a researcher at Ghana's Institute for Fiscal Studies said oil revenue decline dealt a particularly hard blow to Ghana as it seeks to service its debt and meet conditions for a $3 billion International Monetary Fund loan package.
"It is really a problem for the fiscal account," he said. "The deficit can't decline as expected and that means you won't get macroeconomic stability for the real sector to perform well."
Reporting by Maxwell Akalaare Adombila
Editing by Sofia Christensen and Tomasz Janowski
Mga Kaugnay na Asset
Pinakabagong Balita
Disclaimer: Ang mga kabilang sa XM Group ay nagbibigay lang ng serbisyo sa pagpapatupad at pag-access sa aming Online Trading Facility, kung saan pinapahintulutan nito ang pagtingin at/o paggamit sa nilalaman na makikita sa website o sa pamamagitan nito, at walang layuning palitan o palawigin ito, at hindi din ito papalitan o papalawigin. Ang naturang pag-access at paggamit ay palaging alinsunod sa: (i) Mga Tuntunin at Kundisyon; (ii) Mga Babala sa Risk; at (iii) Kabuuang Disclaimer. Kaya naman ang naturang nilalaman ay ituturing na pangkalahatang impormasyon lamang. Mangyaring isaalang-alang na ang mga nilalaman ng aming Online Trading Facility ay hindi paglikom, o alok, para magsagawa ng anumang transaksyon sa mga pinansyal na market. Ang pag-trade sa alinmang pinansyal na market ay nagtataglay ng mataas na lebel ng risk sa iyong kapital.
Lahat ng materyales na nakalathala sa aming Online Trading Facility ay nakalaan para sa layuning edukasyonal/pang-impormasyon lamang at hindi naglalaman – at hindi dapat ituring bilang naglalaman – ng payo at rekomendasyon na pangpinansyal, tungkol sa buwis sa pag-i-invest, o pang-trade, o tala ng aming presyo sa pag-trade, o alok para sa, o paglikom ng, transaksyon sa alinmang pinansyal na instrument o hindi ginustong pinansyal na promosyon.
Sa anumang nilalaman na galing sa ikatlong partido, pati na ang mga nilalaman na inihanda ng XM, ang mga naturang opinyon, balita, pananaliksik, pag-analisa, presyo, ibang impormasyon o link sa ibang mga site na makikita sa website na ito ay ibibigay tulad ng nandoon, bilang pangkalahatang komentaryo sa market at hindi ito nagtataglay ng payo sa pag-i-invest. Kung ang alinmang nilalaman nito ay itinuring bilang pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, kailangan mong isaalang-alang at tanggapin na hindi ito inilaan at inihanda alinsunod sa mga legal na pangangailangan na idinisenyo para maisulong ang pagsasarili ng pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, at dahil dito ituturing ito na komunikasyon sa marketing sa ilalim ng mga kaugnay na batas at regulasyon. Mangyaring siguruhin na nabasa at naintindihan mo ang aming Notipikasyon sa Hindi Independyenteng Pananaliksik sa Pag-i-invest at Babala sa Risk na may kinalaman sa impormasyong nakalagay sa itaas, na maa-access dito.
