The 2007 discovery of the Jubilee oil field in the Gulf of Guinea represented a historic paradigm shift for the Republic of Ghana, catapulting the nation into the ranks of major regional energy producers. The project, located offshore between the Deepwater Tano and West Cape Three Points blocks, underscored the immense hydrocarbon potential lying beneath West African waters.
Project Timelines, Costs, and Infrastructure
Discovered initially by Kosmos Energy and subsequently developed by a consortium led by Tullow Oil, the Jubilee Phase 1 development was aggressively fast-tracked. The partners established an Integrated Project Team (IPT) designed to move from initial discovery to first oil in a record-setting timeframe. They achieved this monumental goal by late 2010, delivering first commercial production in just three and a half years—an unprecedented feat in deepwater FPSO developments.
The technical scope for Phase 1 was immense. It relied on a conventional subsea design situated at a water depth of approximately 1,100 to 1,300 meters. The development called for 17 subsea wells—comprising nine production wells, six water injection wells, and two gas injection wells—all tied back to a Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel named the Kwame Nkrumah. The facility was designed to deliver a plateau oil rate of 120,000 barrels of oil per day (BOPD). Crucially for the nation, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) maintained a vital working interest, cementing the state's strategic role in its newfound energy sector.
Commercial and Operational Service Execution (2009–2012)
Executing a 17-well subsea drilling campaign on such a highly compressed schedule demanded absolutely flawless tubular and casing installation at the well center. During this critical deepwater development phase, our team worked directly with Frank’s International's in-house team embedded at Anadarko Petroleum. Anadarko served as a key partner in the Jubilee Unit, collaborating across the board with Unit Operator Tullow Oil and Technical Operator Kosmos Energy.
Our International team were entrusted with the vital operational scope of running all the casing for the Jubilee project. Operating in deepwater environments where hydrostatic pressures are immense, casing operations represent one of the highest-risk phases of well construction. By applying specialized expertise in tubular running services, the logistics team ensured total wellbore integrity across the development wells. Their seamless service integration and management of the casing supply chain prevented costly non-productive time (NPT), which was instrumental in helping the Kosmos, Tullow, and Anadarko partnership meet their aggressive, history-making target for first oil in Ghana.
