Ghana was represented by a team of international lawyers led by Professor Philippe Sands Q.C. of Matrix Chambers ( London ) and Paul Reichler of Foley Hoag LLP ( Washington, D.C. ) .
The case was wide followed because of the abundant petroleum and gasoline resources in the Gulf of Guinea off the southern seashore of the two adjacent african States .
Ghana laid claim to and began to exploit all of the deposits to the east of an equidistance lineage that it long considered the de facto boundary between the two States. Côte d ’ Ivoire challenged Ghana ’ randomness claims and threatened to prosecute external oil companies drilling in the disputed waters. In early on 2015, the two States agreed to submit the dispute for binding resolution by ITLOS.
In its rule, the court unanimously agreed with Ghana that the limit should follow an equidistance lineage, and that Ghana acted legally in its drilling and extractive activities on its side of that trace. The limit that was adopted is a cable extending from the seashore to the southwest at an angle of 191.8 degrees. The court rejected Côte vitamin d ’ Ivoire ’ s call that the boundary should run to the southeast along an angle of 168.7 degrees .
Over 9,000 feather nautical miles of sea and seabed were disputed. All were awarded to Ghana. These include the anoint and boast fields known as TEN ( Tweneboa, Enyenra and Ntomme ) which are estimated to hold 2 billion barrels of oil and 1.2 trillion cubic feet of natural flatulence.
Read more: What is the Maritime Industry?
In addition to Sands and Reichler, Ghana ’ mho legal team included Foley Hoag attorneys Clara Brillembourg, Tafadzwa Pasipanodya, Nicholas Renzler, Tracy Roosevelt and Alejandra Torres Camprubí ; Alison Macdonald Q.C. ( Matrix Chambers ) ; Anjolie Singh ; Professor Pierre Klein ( Université Libre de Bruxelles ) ; Daniel Alexander Q.C. ( 8 New Square Chambers ) ; and Fui Tsikata ( Reindorf Chambers – accra ). Ghana ’ s Agent was Attorney-General Gloria Afua-Akuffo.
Read more: What is the Maritime Industry?
“ The final examination limit telephone line was a 100 percentage victory for Ghana, which is very rare in nautical boundary line cases, ” Reichler said .
Brillembourg added, “ This decision allows Ghana to properly recommence its TEN visualize and work to boost the country ’ s economy through sustained oil and gas output. ”
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