Ghanaian President John Mahama has announced a major new offshore oil and gas discovery following exploratory drilling at the Nya Gyidie 9-1X well in the Deepwater Cape Three Points contract area.

Mr Mahama announced this on Wednesday during his opening remarks at the 2026 Local Content Conference in Takoradi, describing the discovery as a significant milestone for the country’s petroleum industry.

The exploration project was executed by Planet One Oil and Gas Limited in partnership with Goil Upstream Limited and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).

The president said the discovery showed the consortium’s confidence in Ghana’s petroleum sector and its future exploration prospects.

“With ‘Nya Gyidie’, which means ‘faith’ in the local Twi language, they demonstrated unyielding faith and have now reaped the rewards with a major discovery. By drilling this well, Planet One and its partners not only fulfilled an exploration commitment but also demonstrated unwavering confidence in Ghana and our future research and development agenda,” Mr Mahama explained.

He described the finding as Ghana’s first successful test of a Cenomanian-Turonian Carbonate-Clay play, a geological formation that could provide opportunities for further offshore exploration.

Mr Mahama added that Ghana must sustain efforts to attract investment in discovering and developing new petroleum reserves while ensuring local businesses and workers benefit from opportunities in the industry.

“Our priority now is to accelerate responsible exploration and to swiftly put in place the crucial infrastructure Ghana needs to develop its petroleum resources sustainably. We must turn these resources into tangible jobs and opportunities for Ghanaians and deliver lasting improvements in the lives of our people,” he said.