The global annual conference, which is meant to assemble the cream of players in the oil and gas industry across the world, is scheduled to start from May 6 to May 9 in Houston, Texas.

The presence of the Energy Minister is expected to add more colour to the event and also demonstrate the government’s determination to attract investors into the fledging oil and gas sector of the economy.

The Head of Government Relations at the Ministry of Energy, Ms Patricia Asaam, told the Daily Graphic that the Ministry of Energy had formed a working group which includes sector agencies and other stakeholders to organise Ghana’s participation at this year’s event.

She urged Ghanaian SMEs in the oil and gas sector to participate fully this year and seek the right collaboration and partnerships to build their businesses in the sector.

Ghana Pavilion

Ghana, for the first time in the history of the OTC, opened its own pavilion last year, which offered Ghanaian companies in the oil & gas and allied industries the opportunity to exhibit their services and seek partnership to local businesses in the sector.

Dr MacDonald Vasnani,  Chief Executive Officer of Conship, a Ghanaian company that promotes the Ghana Pavilion at OTC, noted in the release that, “the large international participation and gathering at OTC provides excellent opportunities for global sharing of technology, expertise, products and best practices and that the OTC platform brings together industry leaders, investors, buyers and entrepreneurs to develop markets and business partnerships ultimately to promote and develop local capability in the oil and gas sector”.

He described the feedback for last year’s event as positive and said the company was well positioned to replicate same with improved environment this year to enable Ghanaian companies to attract more visitors and potential partners.

“The position of the Ghana pavilion this year will be in the centre of the exhibition hall, a phenomenon which will make the exhibitors more visible to the patrons” he said, adding that: “The Minister of Energy will perform the official ribbon cutting ceremony at the pavilion”.

Ghana Day Session & SME Event

This year, the organisers of the OTC have provided a special three-hour session at the event focused on Ghana.

 On the theme: “Building local capability in Ghana’s oil and gas sector”, the Minister of Energy and several other dignitaries (CEOs of government agencies and oil companies) will make presentations to international oil companies and the world, on opportunities and partnerships in the country’s petroleum sector.  
 
Another special feature with this year’s participation is the push to educate the Ghanaian Diaspora about opportunities in the petroleum sector with business-2-business meetings with established Ghanaian SME’s in the sector.

 This is being organised by the Ghana-Houston Chamber of Commerce.