Could you please give us a brief overview of Takoradi Gas?

Takoradi Gas was incorporated in 1995 and began operations in the same year. Initially, we started with small machines producing oxygen and acetylene gases for industries. Over time, we expanded our production to almost all industrial gases, and now we both produce and import industrial gases to cater to the demand in Ghana. In addition to manufacturing industrial gases and selling welding consumables such as electrodes, Takoradi Gas also carries a lot of specialty products for the oil and gas industry, such as pipe welding and some welding gases. We also supply to the refrigerant gas market through imports from Spain, Italy, and China. We have diversified into other areas and want to create a one-stop-shop for the whole building industry. We have depots around the country, especially in mining areas to achieve this. We share the market in Ghana with Air Liquide, among others. At present, the mining industry is the biggest segment for Takoradi Gas, but we expect our relationship with the oil and gas industry to evolve, as we are based right in the heart of ‘Oil City’.

What is your current relationship with the oil and gas industry? Which clients do you work with?

We work with almost all the players in Ghana right now, such as Tullow, who contracts out to us. We also work with all the drilling and rigging companies who also have subcontractors. It is not just upstream, but also the services sector. We work closely with Dominion Oil and Gas, who work mainly in the oil fields. For example, we supply acetylene gases to almost all the contractors and subcontractors.

How much of an emphasis does Takoradi Gas put on health and safety, and how do you transfer that knowledge to your clients?

Health and safety is our prime concern because we are working in a dangerous environment. The mining industry introduced health and safety into the country, bringing a lot of standards, which their suppliers had to comply with. Takoradi Gas is very strict; we have a Health and Safety Officer who ensures all the products leaving the country comply with regulations, codes, and practices. The oil industry has European and UN standards to adhere to and also introduced new safety standards in the country. This helped us to raise our standards as we had to comply with their regulations to do business with them.

Does the boom in the market make the supply industry more competitive?

There has been increased competition in both Takoradi and throughout Ghana. Air Liquide was all over the country, and then Dominion came in. However, with their entry, the oil and gas industry came into Ghana, and we have been able to take a share of the market. Now other companies are setting up their operations, which creates more opportunities and space to help our business. Also, we are meeting new suppliers from overseas and other African countries. When Takoradi Gas set up our operations, we began aggressively marketing our services. We provide a 24/7 operation and never close this factory so we can always deliver to our customers. Takoradi Gas started gaining more market share, and we were able to prove that as a local player, we can operate to international standards, as we have foreign experts within the company.