(Ecofin Agency) - EPI Group’s Joint Venture Partner in Ghana, EPI Sonar Tusk, has entered into a 2-year contract to support Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC)’s first seismic exploration in 40 years in the Voltaian Basin.

The contract which is aimed at acquiring a regional 2D seismic programme within the 104,000 km² basin, which covers approximately 40 per cent of Ghana’s land mass. It is a sedimentary Neoproterozoic basin, which has numerous comparisons with areas in North Africa and other places already producing substantial capacities of hydrocarbons.

According to Petroleum Africa, performing exploration works in this kind of basin attracts greater risk than most conventional petroleum plays due to its age, likely geological history and its being home to the Volta Lake, world’s largest artificial lake by surface area.

Under the contract, EPI is to gather a team of project managers, geophysicists, surveyors, QC consultants and environmentalists to outline the scope of the work to be carried out. The company, will then handle the tender process, evaluate bids from acquisition companies and assist GNPC in the selection and management of the chosen contractors.

 “The goal of the project is to produce a geological model of the basin in terms of stratigraphy, structure and petroleum geology. We will help GNPC to achieve this through an extensive programme of support and knowledge transfer. A project of this size and complexity is a rare opportunity, and we are delighted to be involved in such a technically-challenging but rewarding project, supporting GNPC in its efforts to develop its extensive onshore resources”, Edward Bowen, ‎Group CEO at EPI added.