In addition, an industry source says a number of independents have approached Accra´s authorities about open acreage in the country.

While coming nowhere near the well count for places like Angola and Nigeria, these drilling programmes are something approaching nirvana for Ghana and state oil company GNPC after the barren years.

Explorers would shoot a bit of seismic then up stakes and leave for what they thought were better plays in other countries and continents.

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