Missing Crude Oil: Heads To Roll

On March 28, 2003, a shipload of crude oil that had been accumulated from the Saltpond oilfield got missing, the ship moved away and despite searches by the Navy and Air Force, it is reported to be in neighbouring Nigeria.

The news report that the cargo had been impounded by way of security for non-payment of freight charges makes the whole saga take a new turn. The Daily Dispatch, after four days of investigations by special reporters in Ghana, Nigeria and the United States, points to a situation whereby the Ghanaians government will have to ask INTERPOL to extradite some people for trial.

The shipload was stolen and was the handiwork of several ?crookish? minds in these three countries. For starters, heads will be rolling in Ghana, very soon. In-depth investigations have revealed that the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) had for sometime now, been at pains to ensure that the Ghanaian Navy is informed of the need to keep an eye on the vessel where the crude was being stored. The first letter was sent to the Navy in June, 2002.

Then, on March 24, 2003, the GNPC wrote this ?prophetic? letter:

Dear Sir
Export of Crude Oil From Ghana
In is our pleasure to inform you that the Saltpond Offshore Producing Company (SOPCL) continues to produce Crude Oil 8km offshore Saltpond, albeit at a much low rate. The company currently has some crude oil in storage and may export it at a later date. However, the position the GNPC now is that SOPCL has not fulfilled all the requirements precedent to the sale and so it cannot export the crude oil. We, therefore, request the assistance of Ghana Navy to ensure that no unusual movements of crude oil tankers take place within our territorial waters in the Saltpond area without the express permission of GNP.

We thank you most sincerely for your usual assistance. Yours faithfully,? With the above letter, it should be interesting to find out the steps that were taken. Again, it will be instructive to note the time the security agencies were informed. A report by Reuters, below, will make readers deduce what went wrong: ?Nigeria Firm Says It Seized Tanker For Non-Payment. Lagos, April 2 (Reuters). A Nigerian company said on Wednesday it had impounded a tanker, declared missing by the Ghanaian government on Tuesday, for non-payment of freight charges.

On Tuesday, a senior adviser to Ghana?s Energy Ministry said the storage vessel, MV Asterias I, went missing with almost 75,000 barrels of crude oil worth $2 million, after leaving a port in the West African country on Friday. ?The cargo was impounded by way of security for the non-payment of freight charges and interest due to Ocean & Oil Limited by the charterers,? Paul Okoloko, managing director of the Nigerian company said in a statement faxed to Reuters.

The oil on board had been accumulated since last June from test production at one of six wells at the Saltpond oilfieds in Ghana and belonged to others Saltpond Offshore Producing Company Limited and Lushann Etermit Energy of Ghana. A statement from Ghana?s Information Ministry of Tuesday said the authorities had informed Interpol and an investigation was under way to find the vessel.

But Ocean and Oil, a Nigerian firm registered in the Isle of man, said it seized the vessel after the charterers failed to respond to a final demand notice for payment. ?The charterers have failed to make any payment for the hire of the vessel in the last seven months,? its stated said.?