ACCRA (Reuters) - Tullow Oil (L:TLW) plans to drill new wells and boost output at its TEN field off Ghana to 80,000 barrels a day once a maritime dispute between Ghana and Ivory Coast is resolved, Tullow's managing director in Ghana Charles Darku said on Wednesday.
The British company will also invest in exploring possible new Ghana reserves in addition to its Jubilee and TEN fields, Darku said. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is set to rule on the maritime border dispute in the coming months.
"We are looking to the Ghana government to reach a resolution on that to enable us immediately to resume drilling new wells as planned in order to boost production to the plateau of 80,000 bpd," he told Ghanaian shareholders in Accra.
The offshore TEN field, comprising the Tweneboa, Enyenra, Ntomme blocks, poured its first oil in August last year and the partners say they need to drill at least six more wells to reach its potential.
Production at Ghana's flagship offshore Jubilee field stands at around 100,000 bpd, Darku said.
Ghana, which also exports cocoa and gold, is hoping to use increased oil and gas output to boost its gross domestic product and create jobs.