VOA常速英语2008年-Ghana Looks Ahead to Oil Exploitation

By Naomi Schwarz and Ruby¹ Amable
Dakar
29 February 2008

There is oil excitement in Ghana as government officials work with oil companies and civil society to plan how to exploit recently discovered offshore² reserves. But many Ghanaians look with caution to the examples of neighboring oil-producing countries, and say they hope Ghana will find a way to turn oil money into real development. Naomi Schwarz has more from Dakar.

In 2007, oil was discovered in waters off Ghana, in the Gulf³ of Guinea, which also holds Nigeria's and Cameroon's oil reserves. Since then, says Ofosu Ahenkora, the chief executive officer of the government-appointed Ghana Energy Commission, Ghana has been working to develop a strategy to use the newfound resource to benefit the country.

"We are learning not only from the experiences of countries that have problems, we are also learning from countries that have been really successful in applying oil wealth for development," said Ahenkora.

Ahenkora says the government worries about a detrimental⁴ environmental impact and a loss of land by the local population. He says the example of the unrest in Nigeria's oil producing Niger Delta⁵ region is a sobering one.

And he says the government is even looking to learn from their own past mistakes.

"We seem to have a similar problem with gold mining in this country," said Ahenkora. "If we are able to solve this problem that will be one step forward."

George Owusu is the country manager of American-based Kosmos Energy, one of the two firms that discovered oil in Ghana. He says his company is working closely with the Ghanaian government to develop a strategy that will not harm the environment.

"We are using FPSO," he said. "When you use that, it means that the oil does not run through pipelines⁶, which will come on shore to contaminate your line so it is not going to be the same structure that we have in Nigeria, it is a little bit different."

FPSO stands for floating production storage and offloading, a system in which the oil is processed and stored on floating platforms and can be loaded directly onto tankers⁷ to be exported. Owusu says the company will also have all the necessary equipment in place to handle any accidents that may occur.

In Ghana's western region, near where the offshore reserves have been found, there has already been increased economic activity, thanks to the oil exploration.

Nana Osenkese Ogyeahoho, a traditional ruler and a representative of chiefs from the western region, says he hopes to see a big impact for his people.

"Our expectations are that with the oil find the western region, local people should be involved. Unlike timber, gold mining and other things which have not impacted very positively⁸ on us we believe that this time around the communities should be involved," he said. "There should be a lot of development projects."

But oil companies say it could be as long as seven years before the oil begins to be extracted. Kwasi Abeasi, former Chief Executive officer of the Ghana Investment Center, says he worries the government and everyone else are already thinking too far ahead.

"In the oil industry the initial exploratory work is so risky⁹ and the investment world we have what we call wild cats," he said. "So all these are costs up front that need to be taken care of before you can start thinking of profits that can be shared."

He says Ghana needs to consider how to make production efficient so that the country and all the stakeholders can get the maximum benefit.

1 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

2 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

3 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

4 detrimental   

adj.损害的，造成伤害的

参考例句：

• We know that heat treatment is detrimental to milk.我们知道加热对牛奶是不利的。
• He wouldn't accept that smoking was detrimental to health.他不相信吸烟有害健康。

5 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

6 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。

7 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。

8 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

9 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。