The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has declared that it will hold international oil companies to the international training and safety standards to reduce the likelihood of an offshore spill and increase gains from oil production.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, the organisation's director general Peter Azumah said that operators such as Tullow will be called on to prioritise enrolment of Ghanaian youths in oil training courses as the country approaches commercial production.

Tullow is on target to bring the first field on-stream in the final quarter of this year after discovering oil in 2007.

The company has enjoyed a near-100 per cent success rate in its offshore drilling campaign in the country.

Nicolas Hoting, logistics base manager of Tullow Oil Ghana, told the news agency that the company has established career path training, mentorship programmes and in-service training to ensure local workers enjoy full access to the emergent oil and gas industry.

Oil and Gas Directory: Training and Development