Activities and mandates of the Petroleum Commission
The Petroleum Commission was established by an act of parliament in 2011, act 821 with the object to regulate and manage the utilization of petroleum resources in the upstream petroleum sector and coordinate the policies in relation to them
The Activities of the Petroleum Commission
The Commission was established to perform the following functions:
- Promote planned, well executed, sustainable and cost efficient petroleum activities;
- Monitor and ensure compliance with national policies, laws, regulations, and agreements related to petroleum activities;
- Monitor petroleum activities and carry out the necessary inspection and audit related to the activities;
- Promote local content and local participation in petroleum activities as prescribed in the petroleum exploration and production law1984 (PNDCL 84) and other applicable laws and regulations to strengthen national development;
- Receive and store petroleum data, manage a national petroleum repository and at the request of the minister, undertake reconnaissance exploration including data acquisition;
- Receive applications and issue permits for specific petroleum activities as required under petroleum laws and regulations;
- Assess and approve appraisal programmes;
- Issue annually a public report on petroleum resources and activities in Ghana in accordance with the schedule of Act 821 and publish the report in gazette;
- Receive information from contractors as provided for under applicable laws and regulations
In conclusion, the activities of the petroleum commission are very crucial for the development of the upstream industry in Ghana. The commission which has the mandate to promote investment in the upstream industry should support local participants in the oil and gas industry to take active role in the oil and gas industry in Ghana.
By: David Aduhene Tanoh-www.reportingoilandgas.com