Business News of Monday, 26 November 2018
Source: Solomon Anderson
2018-11-26
Loic Chateau, General Manager of Belmet 7
Belmet 7, a fabrication company located inside the Port of Takoradi has successfully completed the construction of the widest suction pile ever to be built in Ghana within the span of two months.
A loading exercise recently held saw 400-ton crane lift the suction pile unto a low bed which was conveyed to the wharf where it was lifted unto a vessel for development offshore.
The Suction Pile is to anchor a flow line into the seabed to help the oil drilling and exploration at the Jubilee Field – Tullow Ghana.
Loic Chateau, General Manager of Belmet 7, revealed that the massive equipment, which was built by Ghanaians is 15.5m high and has a weight of 122 tonnes.
“This suction pile was built inside our yard in Ghana. Built from June this year to the end of August by Ghanaians. This suction pile is 15.5m high and has a weight of 122 tonnes,” he said.
Speaking to the media during the loadout exercise, Mr. Peter Amo-Bediako, a Marketing & Public Affairs Manager, GPHA made it known that, the suction pile would have been imported from Aberdeen or Singapore but the Takoradi Port, with the vision of becoming a world-class port, capable of providing all needed services gave room for Belmet 7, an able local company to construct the massive equipment.
“The significant thing is that these things were manufactured by Ghanaians at the Port of Takoradi. Hitherto, such a Sea Bed equipment would have been manufactured either in Singapore or Aberdeen and would have to be imported into the country,” he disclosed.
He said such collaborations with local companies do not only place Takoradi Port at a world-class standard but also saves cost for the country.
“So the manufacturing that is going on here has saved Ghana a lot of money, thus, help us to reduce cost in the exploration and production business in Ghana” he added.