Dr. John Jinapor, Minister of Energy and Green Transition
President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Ministry of Energy to bring Italian oil giant ENI and Ghanaian-owned Springfield Exploration and Production to the negotiating table to resolve their long-standing unitisation dispute.
The directive follows a high-level meeting between the President and ENI’s CEO on February 7, 2025, during which President Mahama emphasized the urgency of resolving the impasse.
Sources close to the discussions indicate that the President has instructed that once negotiations commence, they should not extend beyond 30 days.
The dispute, which has stalled the full development of the Afina oil discovery in Ghana’s offshore basin, has been a major concern for the country’s petroleum industry.
President Mahama administration is keen on resolving the matter swiftly to unlock the economic benefits of increased oil production and to reaffirm Ghana’s reputation as an attractive destination for international investment, according to sources briefed on the matter at the Energy Ministry.
Sources have disclosed that both ENI and Springfield have sent strong signals to the John Mahama administration that they are willing and ready to work through their differences and come to a negotiated settlement that would be beneficial to all parties and in the national interest.
The President’s intervention signals his administration’s commitment to ensuring a stable and investment-friendly petroleum sector, sources say.
Industry analysts believe that a timely resolution of the ENI-Springfield impasse will not only enhance Ghana’s oil revenue prospects but also strengthen investor confidence in the country’s regulatory and legal frameworks.
The Ministry of Energy is expected to announce the framework for the negotiations in the coming days, setting the stage for what could be a decisive moment in Ghana’s upstream petroleum industry.