The Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) has signed a $15.6 million contract with the AECOM Technology Corporation for the Western Corridor Gas Infrastructure Development project.
AECOM, a United States (US) based global provider of professional technical and management support services, would also be required to undertake project management consulting services.
The acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Gas, Mr Eric Yankah, and Dr Kwesi Botchwey, the Chairman of the GNCG Board, signed for the company, while Mr James F. Thompson, the CEO of AECOM, signed on behalf of his firm.
Under the terms of the agreement, AECOM will take over the construction and engineering management from Ghana Gas and conduct factory acceptance testing of all critical equipment.
It will also supervise integration of all systems, perform pre-commissioning and commissioning of the entire systems and manage transition from construction to operational start-up.
The company will also develop the project management directorate of Ghana Gas by providing training for personnel in project management.
AECOM will also undertake work on the 45-km offshore pipeline to link the existing Deep Water Pipeline of the Jubilee Field and the 111-km onshore pipeline to the Aboadze Power Plant enclave.
The completion of the Gas Processing Plant at Atuabo with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage tanks and a loading gantry for the discharge of LPG and other condensates and a natural gas liquids (NGLs) export system, comprising a pipeline, an NGLs Tank Farm to be sited at Domunli, as well as a Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring (CALM) Buoy for handling sea-going vessels, will also be carried out under the terms of agreement.
According to the Head of Corporate at the GNGC, Mr Guure Brown Guure, the execution of the project, which hitherto was being supervised by personnel of the GNGC, as well as specialist staff seconded from the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), the Energy Commission (EC) and the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST), AECOM would now provide professional technical and management support in line with the GNCG's strategy.
“AECOM’s provision of professional technical management support is perfectly in line with Ghana Gas’ strategy to employ the most advanced technology and project management systems in delivering high quality, reliable gas processing and delivery infrastructure," Dr Kwesi Botchwey said at the signing.
He said Ghana Gas' strategic partnership with AECOM would help achieve greater efficiency in the project implementation and also enable the core staff of the company to focus on the commercial and other critical dimensions of the project.
He said project execution was now at the stage where additional complementary services were needed to expedite construction completion, conduct factory acceptance testing and integration of facilities and systems.
He indicated that performing pre-commissioning and commissioning, as well as managing transition to operational start-up, had become particularly critical.
Dr Botchwey expressed the hope that the contract agreement would ensure the speedy completion of the infrastructural works.
Officials of AECOM, in a release, expressed the company’s commitment to support the effective delivery of its services to meet, if not exceed, the expectations of Ghana Gas.
Story by Della Russel Ocloo
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