The oil industry in South East Ghana: A deductive study of the changes that may take place in South East Ghana when crude petroleum oil is found in commercial quantity and the oil industry is established there

The rate of Physical development of petroleum-oil bearing areas is so rapid that planning authorities are unable to cope with it and as a result control and guidance of development quickly get out of hand. Secondly, the lack of integration of oil workers’ housing with existing settlements results in social problems and unfavourable industrial relationship. The purpose of this thesis is to make a study of certain characteristics of the oil industry which led to an understanding of the problems involved so as to be able to suggest how best the problems can be solved in South East Ghana if and when oil is found there. The whole study is divided into two parts. The first part consists of background studies of actual situations. These are covered in the first two chapters. The second part deals with deductions and inferences from the first part, and these run into three chapters. Chapter I gives an idea of the world demand for energy, places where oil is found how it is transported. In Chapter II certain specific characteristic developments and effects are studied. First, developments which take place during drilling stage are studied. A brief study of the physical vegetational and geological conditions of the oil bearing areas of Nigeria is presented to appreciate the optimism expressed for oil discovery in South East Ghana. This is followed by an investigation into the characteristic developments which took place in Nigeria during the production stage. The characteristic economic, physical and social effects induced by the oil industry are touched, towards the end of the chapter. In Chapter III the physical, vegetational and geological conditions of South East Ghana are studied. These conditions are compared with those of the oil bearing areas of Nigeria (as studied in chapter II) and certain assumptions made. At the end of this Chapter, an attempt is made to fix the total investments required for the industry in South East Ghana, basing it on the total investments required in Nigeria for the same purpose. The possibility of securing these investments here are looked into. In Chapter IV the probable influences the oil industry may have in South East Ghana are deduced. To be able to suggest how oil workers’ housing can be integrated with existing developments, one settlement is located in South East Ghana and a detailed study of this settlement is made. The requirements of this settlement are considered, its possible size, function and form determined. By this detailed study, it has been possible to show that a study of the problems at an early stage coupled with urban planning proposals, may solve the problems. This study therefore comes under the scope of Urban Planning. The whole study then ends with recommendations and suggestions in chapter V and a consideration. When this study was first started political conditions in Nigeria made it impossible to spend a longer time there in order to make a detailed study at Port Harcourt so as to deduce more facts about the influence of the oil industry. Secondly, the official secrecy surrounding work being done in connection with the search for oil on South East Ghana, made it extremely difficult for detailed information to be obtained. For this reason certain assumptions are made.

Source: KNUST