(Ecofin Agency) - Royal Dutch Shell is to become the first client to start lifting oil from the Tweneboa, Enyenra and Ntomme (TEN) oil field as the company is expected to lift some hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil from the field before the end of August.This is coming a day after the TEN field achieved its first oil flow on budget and on schedule, signaling commercial oil production from Ghana’s second major oil project.

The $5 billion project is expected to produce about 80,000 bopd at full capacity and more than 300 million boe over the lifetime of the field, which is estimated at 20 years. The field contains 80% oil and 20% gas and was developed by Tullow, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Anadarko, Kosmos and PetroSA.

According to the CEO of Tullow Oil plc, Aidan Heavey, it was an important moment for the company as production begins from its second operated development in Ghana since the first discovery was made in 2009.“I am delighted that the TEN fields have reached first oil. I thank the Government of Ghana, the Petroleum Commission and our partners – GNPC, Anadarko, Kosmos and PetroSA - for their support and co-operation,” he said.

Meanwhile, to the CEO of GNPC, Alexander Mould, the successful start of the TEN field is significant not because it complements production from the Jubilee field and increases revenue for the State at this current time of low oil prices but because it will also provide extra gas for electricity generation in order to drive economic growth in Ghana.“This is a momentous day for Ghana and, as the national oil company, GNPC is pleased to have played a significant part in bringing our second oil production field to fruition.  This is the culmination of more than a decade of work, which began with GNPC producing credible data on our oil fields. This convinced international investors, who would eventually become the TEN partners, to invest in the project,” he told Business and Financial Times.

Ghana became an oil producing countries in December 2010 when it achieved first commercial oil flow from the Jubilee Field. This milestone has since then ignited great interest in petroleum exploration in the country and resulted in the discovery of oil in the TEN fields in 2009.

Anita Fatunji