The event, to be chaired by Mr. Kwame Pianim, will kick-off with the Energy Minister’s Session which will feature a presentation by the Minister, Boakye Kyeremanteng Agyarko, followed by a keynote address from the Former Minister for Energy and Finance, Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Conrad Enill.

Ensuring the supply of natural gas to cater for rising national and regional electricity demand is a paramount energy policy objective for Ghana.

Ghana’s 1550 MW thermal generation capacity (of which 890MW is from Independent Power Producers), serves as the primary off-taker for processed gas from local fields and the West Africa Gas Pipeline.

According to Ghana’s Energy Commission, Ghana National Gas Company’s (GNGC) Atuabo gas supply, as at April 2017, had a share of 39.1% of the total fuel supply mix for generation plants, with the West Africa Gas Pipeline having 9.1%.

Natural gas supply is therefore expected to grow with the expansion in Ghana’s thermal generation capacity.

The advancement of liquefied natural gas (LNG) deals between Ghana and other gas producing countries, further demonstrates the appetite for natural gas as well as the competing sources of supply in the global LNG market.

While LNG provides an opportunity to address the disruptions in the supply of natural gas to Ghana’s power hubs, importation of gas via this technology, bears the risk of increasing the weighted average cost of gas, given the significant capital requirements that come with building regasification terminals in what is a relatively small domestic market.

Furthermore, LNG importation may undermine the primary policy focus of monetizing domestic gas, by competing with financing that could be alternatively deployed towards the expansion of the country’s gas processing infrastructure.

The aforementioned nuances underscore the relevance of Ghana Gas Forum 2017, which will facilitate policy assessments and debates among stakeholders.

These discussions will culminate in recommendations captured in the GGF2017 Executive Report, to address the range of emerging issues within the sector.

GGF2017 will provide participants with comprehensive perspectives on Ghana’s current gas sector policy priorities and plans that hinge on economic, commercial and legal factors.

Key experts for the programme include Mr. Conrad Enill, Former Minister for Energy and Finance, Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, Deputy Minister for Energy, Dr. Cassandra Martinez-King, Consultant, Lincoln Rose Law Associates, Mr. Walter Perez, MD, West African Gas Pipeline Company, Dr. Ben Asante, CEO, Ghana National Gas Company, Dr. Alfred Ahenkorah, Executive Secretary for Energy Commission, Dr. Kwadwo Asenso, Head, Energy, Oil and Gas Unit at the Real Sector Division, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Charles Darku, CEO, Tullow Oil Ghana, Dr. Mensa-Bonsu, Director of Plan Coordination Division, National Development Planning Commission and Mr. Victor Kitange, Consultant, Ghana Oil and Gas for Inclusive Growth (GOGIG).

GGF2017 is fully endorsed by the Ministry of Energy and open to organizations and individuals with shared interests who may register to attend via the website: www.ghanagasforum.com.

GGF2017 is sponsored by Ghana National Gas Company and Ghana Oil and Gas for Inclusive Growth (GOGIG), and partnered by Tullow Ghana, Amandi Energy, Volta River Authority, Lincoln Rose Law Associates, Springfield E&P, Delloite Ghana and Vitol.

According to TGC Executive Secretary, Mr Senam F. Gbeho,“ the significance of the discussions to be held at Ghana Gas Forum 2017 cannot be overstated.

Ghana’s potential to industrialize via the gas sector rests in the ability for gas sector policy-making to provide clarity on key issues.

This will send positive signals to both the domestic and international investor communities of Ghana’s intentions to build a globally competitive and investment friendly policy and regulatory environment.

With the rich list of experts and resource persons in attendance, GGF2017 is set to make real impact and contributions to this goal.”

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ghana Gas Forum 2017 set for November 7, 8 appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

And scientists predict if everyone aged 50 and above in the UK took the drug for 10 years, some 122,000 deaths could be prevented over two decades.

But they warn aspirin can cause internal bleeding and say medical advice must be sought before using it.

The Queen Mary University of London report is in the Annals of Oncology.

Weighing up benefits

Scientists examined some 200 studies investigating the benefits and harms of taking aspirin – an area of continuing medical debate.

They found the drug reduced the number of cases and deaths from bowel, stomach and oesophageal cancer by some 30-40%.

There was weaker and more variable evidence that the drug reduced deaths from breast, prostate and lung cancer too.

And the study found people needed to take the drug for at least five years to see any benefits.

Prof Jack Cuzick, at Queen Mary University of London, who led the research, urged all healthy people aged 50 and above to consider taking a small dose (75mg) of the drug every day for a decade.

Researchers predicted if 1,000 individuals aged 60 took the drug for 10 years, a further decade later there would be:

• 16 fewer deaths from cancer
• One fewer death from heart attack
• Two extra deaths from bleeding

Prof Cuzick, who has been taking aspirin for four years, said: “Whilst there are some serious side-effects that can’t be ignored, taking aspirin daily looks to be the most important thing we can do to reduce cancer after stopping smoking and reducing obesity, and will probably be much easier to implement.”

Individual risks

They found benefits continued even when people stopped taking the drug, but say it is unclear exactly how long people should use it for.

As the risk of internal bleeding rises as an individual gets older, they suggest a cut-off point of 10 years.

There is still uncertainty whether other doses of the drug could offer more protection.

The benefits of aspirin must be weighed against individual risks, experts warn

Aspirin’s well known possible side-effects include bleeding in the stomach and the brain.

And while the study suggests 122,000 lives could be saved if everyone in the UK aged 50-64 took the drug, this is balanced against the estimated 18,000 deaths from side-effects.

Experts warn anyone at high risk of bleeding, including people with blood disorders who take blood thinning medication, or are frequent smokers or drinkers, are more likely to suffer these side-effects.

They recommend anyone considering daily medication should speak to their doctors to discuss individual risks.

Dr Julie Sharp, at Cancer Research UK, said: “Aspirin is showing promise in preventing certain types of cancer, but it’s vital that we balance this with the complications it can cause.

“Before aspirin can be recommended for cancer prevention, some important questions need to be answered and tests need to be developed to predict who is likely to have side-effects.”

Exactly how aspirin protects against cancer is unknown. Scientists suggest it may reduce inflammation or act on blood cells that would otherwise encourage the spread of the disease.

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Source: BBC

The post Daily aspirin ‘cuts bowel and stomach cancer deaths’ appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.