skip to main content

Tullow Oil's shares rally after ruling on offshore Ghana project

Tullow has already drilled all of the 10 wells expected to be operational when the Ghana field starts pumping oil
Tullow has already drilled all of the 10 wells expected to be operational when the Ghana field starts pumping oil

Tullow Oil saw its shares trade at a five-month high today after a favourable weekend ruling by an international maritime tribunal that allowed it to continue developing its TEN oil field off the coast of Ghana. 

Last month its shares dropped after it became clear a maritime border dispute between Ghana and Ivory Coast could delay Tullow's Tweneboa, Enyenra and Ntomme (TEN) oil project. 

But The Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ruled on Saturday the project could continue on the condition that Ghana does not start any new drilling in the area. 

The tribunal is expected to give a final ruling on the case in 2017, months after the TEN oil project is expected to start production. 

Tullow said it had already drilled all of the 10 wells expected to be operational when the field starts pumping oil. 

"Tullow is not a party to this arbitration process and will now await a decision by the Government of Ghana on how it will implement the provisional measures order," the company said in a statement. 

Analysts at Stifel said even if Ghana should lose the case in 2017 Tullow could expect financial compensation.