Ghana’s First Oil Exploration Licensing Round Attracts Global Majors

Sixteen oil and gas firms have submitted applications for one or more of five Ghanaian offshore blocks in the West African country’s first exploration licensing round, its energy ministry said.

The interest is a major vote of confidence in Ghana, which is keen to unlock more resources after it began pumping from its flagship offshore Jubilee Field in 2010.

The companies that have submitted applications are Tullow Oil Plc, Total SA (NYSE: TOT), Eni SpA (NYSE: E), Cairn Energy Plc, Harmony Oil and Gas Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM), CNOOC Ltd. (NYSE: CEO), Qatar Petroleum, BP Plc (NYSE: BP), Vitol Group, Global Petroleum Group Ltd., Aker Energy AS, First E&P Development Co. Ltd., Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE: KOS), Sasol Ltd. (NYSE: SSL) and Equinor ASA (NYSE: EQNR).