A legal battle between Petraco Oil Company SA and Springfield Exploration and Production Limited has entered a new phase, with Petraco seeking to enforce an arbitration award issued in its favour by a London-based arbitral tribunal.
The enforcement proceedings filed before Ghana’s Commercial Court 6, Accra.
It relates to an award rendered under the rules of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), one of the world’s leading international arbitration institutions.
A publication of Petraco’s petition served on CID, EOCO, IGP, Attorey-General, Petroleum Commission, NPA by The Herald newspaper led to the conviction of its Managing Editor, Larry-Alans Dogbey, on June 25th, 2026 by Justice Isaac Addo of High Court for contempt of court.
The case over which Kevin Okyere had the injunction on The Herald newspaper was unrelated to the Petraco petition and his subsequent arrest and detention on Dubai last year.
Despite its name, the LCIA is not a court; disputes are determined by independent arbitration tribunals rather than judges.
The latest proceedings concern the enforcement of the arbitral award rather than the determination of the underlying dispute itself.
Enforcement actions are typically commenced after an arbitral tribunal has issued a final award and the successful party seeks judicial assistance to compel compliance where payment or performance has not been forthcoming.
The case, involving Petraco and Springfield, is listed before Commercial Court 6 of the English Commercial Court.
The proceedings are separate from the arbitration itself and focus on whether the award should be recognised and enforced through the Ghanaian court system.
The dispute stems from a commercial relationship between Petraco and Springfield under a US$100 million facility agreement signed in February 2023.
According to Springfield, Petraco disbursed an initial tranche of US$50 million under the arrangement, with disagreements subsequently arising between the parties.
The US$100 million facility was linked to the botched Unitisation arrangement, which the Italian company ENI got an arbitration award on.
Springfield has previously maintained that the matter is a commercial dispute that is being addressed through arbitration.
International arbitration has become a preferred mechanism for resolving cross-border commercial disputes, particularly in the energy sector.
Awards issued by arbitral tribunals are generally enforceable through national courts under international conventions and domestic arbitration laws, subject to limited grounds for challenge.
The outcome of the enforcement proceedings could have significant implications for both parties as the dispute continues to unfold across multiple jurisdictions.
