Kosmos Energy to pay a fine for spillage

Accra, July 29, GNA - A five-member committee that investigated the oil spillage at Kosmos Drilling Fields in West Cape Three Points in the Western Region has recommended that the management paid some money to the Government.

Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Deputy Minister of Environment Science and Technology and Chairman of the Committee presenting its report in Accra on Thursday said it was due to negligence.

He said: "the committee found out that the spillage at Atwood Hunter and Dahoma Number One in the West Cape Three Points Block Offshore of Ghana was caused by negligence".

Dr. Boamah said it has therefore made recommendations on how to prevent and handle issues related to oil spillage in future.

Ms. Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), receiving the report thanked the committee for the report and gave the assurance that the recommendations would be implemented to ensure that sanity prevailed in operations at the Jubilee Field.

Other members of the committee were; Dr. Nicholas Iddi, National Coordinator of Ghana Environmental Conventions Coordination Authority; Mr. Daniel S. Amlalo, Deputy Executive Director of Environmental Protection Agency; Mr. Samuel Bosompem, Legal Officer of Commission on Human Right and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and Mr. Hamidu Adakurugu, Deputy Director of MEST.

In December last year, Kosmos Energy spilled about 600 barrels of low toxicity oil-based mud in its exploratory operations in the Jubilee Field.

During March this year, it spilled another quantity of the product into the sea, contrary to its environmental regulations.

On March 23, this year, the committee was set up to determine the cause and make recommendations.