Springfield's hard work in energy development deserves our support - Jomoro fisherfolk

Rig activities that create economic buzz in the country’s oil and gas industry have decreased tremendously, affecting the livelihood of many families, particularly those in the Western Region, the hub of Ghana’s oil industry.

So when a company like Springfield Exploration and Production Limited which is wholly Ghanaian–owned makes the daring move to participate in the upstream industry, efforts must be made to support them to succeed just like Aliko Dangote was assisted by the state and its institutions to become what he is today, a pride not only of Nigeria but Africa as well.

These were the sentiments expressed by Nana Kweku Amosa, a fisherman from Jomoro in the Western Region during an interactive stakeholders’ engagement session between Springfield E&P and its Partners, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and Explorco and Fishermen drawn from the six coastal districts of the region.

Nana Amosa said although, he is a fisherman, he appreciated the tremendous efforts of oil companies that created jobs for the teeming youth across the country, particularly people in the western region.

He compared the oil industry to the country’s mining sector saying, “to date, I don’t know of specific Ghanaian companies operating at the level of AngloGold Ashanti or Newmont Ghana that belongs to Ghanaians. That is why we are impressed with the bold efforts of Springfield which is mobilizing so many resources to succeed into the oil and gas sector.”

He said he was particularly impressed with and proud of Springfield because “it is a local company that also supports other local companies and has dared to venture into the space where up until recently was reserved for foreign companies.”

He pledged to spread the news about the presence of the rig which Springfield had brought to appraise its Afina-1x Well so that canoe fishermen do not interfere with its activities.

Springfield and its Partners engaged with the stakeholders to inform them about the arrival of the Deepsea Bollsta Rig, a semi-submersible rig to be utilized to appraise the Afina-1x well which made a significant discovery in 2019.

At the forum, officials from Springfield, GNPC, the Petroleum Commission, the Fisheries Commission, Navy and Marine Police and the Environmental Protection Agency took turns to advise fishermen against fishing close to the rig to avoid accidents that could cost the companies and the state millions of dollars and human lives.