Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC), has achieved zero injuries since operations began at the Atuabo gas processing plant in the Jomoro municipality of the Western Region, senior manager of Engineering and Maintenance, Mr Maxwell Kally, has reported.
He assured that the company was focused to maintain the feat and also ensure the safety of the infrastructure and community.
Mr Kally revealed these at a press soiree organised by Ghana Gas on the theme 'The role of the media in the transformation of the oil and gas industry in Ghana' in Takoradi on Wednes-day.
"For 10 years, we have maintained consistency and have an excellent safety culture that transcends Atuabo all the way to Takoradi, and I think that is phe-nomenal. We want the community led by the Western Region media fraternity to promote this good news, because, without safety, our community would be agitated. Led by our CEO, Dr Ben Asante, anything to do with safety is the first priority, and that is our busi-ness. We guarantee you the safety of our operations."
Mr Kally argued that the safe-ty culture was comparable to what existed in the industry in Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Trinidad and Tobago and even the United Kingdom, saying "Ghana Gas has been a leading gas company."
He told the journalists that the Atuabo plant was poised with tie-in arrangements to supply gas for the production of fertiliser at the Jomoro fertiliser plant.
In the event of gas curtail-ment from offshore activities, the engineer said there existed a billion-dollar interconnection with the Tema plant with a reverse flow for the Atuabo gas process-ing plant to receive natural gas.
"There is a natural gas invest-ment in the event of gas curtail-ment and also we have an energy use and sustainable plan in place," Mr Kally added.
On the role of the media in transforming the oil industry in Ghana, the Corporate Commu-nication Manager, Ghana Gas, Ernest Owusu- Bempah, said journalists, had a critical role to play.
"We need the media to pay particular attention so that the reportage that comes out will be accurate,key public information that will be disseminated to the general public. Indeed, the role of the media in the development of every nation cannot be over-looked."
The media, Mr Owusu-Be-mpah noted, had become central and more forceful, saying "the media should not be in a haste to break the news."
The oil and gas industry, he said, was a new area of study and that, Ghana Gas together with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) would establish a course purposely to serve the energy sector.
Mr Owusu-Bempah said "As head of corporate communica-tion I would like to emphasize the role you play is very significant to my success and to achieving my dreams and also to grow the industry. You are the mouthpiece, the ears and the eyes of the ordi-nary Ghanaians.