The Chief Operating Officer of Consolidated Shipping (Conship) Agency, Mrs. Linda Vasnani, has called on Ghanaian companies operating in the oil and gas sector to leverage the platform of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) held annually in Houston, Texas, to showcase their worth to global international players in the industry.

According to her, the OTC will afford companies the opportunity to form major joint ventures or have some of the global giants in the industry to partner them for business in the country.

Mrs. Vasnani, who made the call at the opening of official registration for participation in 2019 OTC on November 17 in Accra said, with Ghana consistently developing more fields, it was time for local companies to ready themselves for bigger opportunities ahead adding that, “that is why the OTC is the best platform for you to go engage and be known to big players”.

The conference, where the world’s energy professionals meet to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters, is meant, among other things, to offer companies in the country which operate in the oil and gas sector to engage their counterparts from other parts of the globe.

Ghana Pavillion

A special Ghana pavilion arranged by Consolidated Shipping Agencies Limited (Conship) and The American Chamber of Commerce (Ghana) will be set for the second time in the history of the OTC to afford companies from Ghana unique space and platform to collectively showcase their prowess and engage with other players in the industry.

Addressing companies in the oil sector to formally launch the 2019 OTC registration in Accra today, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Conship, Mrs Linda Vasnani, said the “impressive turnout of companies last year has compelled us to find a bigger venue, located in a more strategic position, to enhance the visibility of our companies at the event”.

“The turnout was very good. We received information that that was the largest Ghanaian turnout in the history of the OTC,” she said.

Mrs Vasnani said the birth of the Ghana Pavilion had put Ghana on the oil and gas industry map, adding: “We also received a lot of visitors from the Malaysian and the South African pavilions and other companies. It was surprising to note that some of the oil and gas related companies didn’t even know that Ghana was drilling oil and so that was an eye opener for a lot of companies and that is why we urge all other companies to fully leverage on the opportunity.”

According to her, the event exceeded “our expectations. We received a lot of support from the exhibitors, the commercial services of the American Embassy, the Ministry of Energy and the American Chamber of Commerce. Foreign companies also showed their interest and support”.

Making indigenous Ghanaian companies big

“Greater support from both government agencies and the private sector to showcase all the different products and services in the Ghanaian oil and gas industry will make this event more successful,” she said.

Mrs Vasnani said it would be encouraging for all involved to realise that the OTC was about developing indigenous Ghanaian companies and partnerships and “not for anyone’s personal recognition”.

She said a dedicated day within the period would be set aside as ‘Ghan Day’ to allow for exhibitors to draw more patrons to their fold and urged participants to take full advantage of the day to put their best foot forward.

What to expect

On what should be expected next year, she said Conship, in partnership with the Commercial Service of the American Embassy, had secured a larger space for OTC 2019.

“It is our hope that more companies and government agencies will exhibit next year. We also invite other chambers to join this effort to make the Ghana Pavilion at OTC 2019 bigger and better. It’s important to show the world what indigenous Ghanaian companies can do and encourage multinational companies to invest in Ghana and form more joint ventures or partnerships,” she said.

She said the ground work had been laid and urged the Ministry of Energy and its sector agencies to work with the private sector to spearhead the direction of the Ghana Pavilion at the OTC to show the “world what Ghana has to offer”.

Source: Graphic Business