(Ecofin Agency) - Tullow Oil in its operational update on assets in Africa announced that the TEN Project in Ghana is on schedule and within budget.

According to the company, the project is more than 96% complete and is expected to deliver first oil within the next three to six weeks.

Tullow added that the hook-up and commissioning of the FPSO, linking the pre-drilled wells to the vessel through the extensive subsea infrastructure, is almost complete.

A slow increase in oil production concerning the FPSO’s capacity of 80,000 bopd is expected by the end of 2016 as the facility’s total performance testing and wells are increased to peak rates.

Tullow estimates that the TEN’s average yearly production in 2016 will be at 23,000 bopd gross. Drilling on the field is not expected until after the dispute at the Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana border has been resolved, Energy-pedia reports.

The company has also reduced its 2016 West Africa oil production forecast by around 12,000 barrels per day (bpd) as a result of the temporary shutdown of the Jubilee field offshore Ghana.

Tullow has said that works to convert the offloading vessel into a permanent facility would cost $100-150 million and more work could cost $115 million this year and another $80 million in 2017.

The shutdown at Jubilee in April and May has made the company to reduce its full-year production target to 62 to 68,000 bpd.

The field will now have to experience an 8 to12 week shutdown period in H1 of 2017 in order to perform works on the offloading vessel.

Anita Fatunji