Head of Ghana's technical committee of the Presidential Commission, Lawrence Apaalse, told ghanabusinessnews.com in June 2010 that the Ivorians made some proposals to the Ghanaian Commission, but the proposals were not acceptable and they were asked to go back and review it.

According to Adama Toungara, the new oil minister for Cote d'Ivoire, the country plans to boost oil drilling by the year's end to become a major regional producer.

"We want to start drilling in seven wells by the end of the year to ensure a production of 300,000 barrels a day by 2020, up from 40,000 barrels now. We want to make Cote d'Ivoire a sub-regional oil power even though the country will not be an African Kuwait."

Out of the 28 oil fields in Cote d'Ivoire, firms from Canada, the United States, Italy, Russia, Ireland, Kuwait and Malaysia, according to official data, operate 23.

Cote d'Ivoire was until recently the leading oil producer in the eight-nation West African Economic and Monetary Union of West Africa, which excludes Nigeria, the top oil producer in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Oil companies concerned

Meanwhile, Ghana's Jubilee Oil Partners, including Tullow Oil Plc, Kosmos Energy, Anadarko Petroleum and the Ghana National Petroleum Corp. (GNPC), have already raised concerns about the boundary dispute. Texas-based oil explorer, Kosmos Energy has expressed fears about the development. The oil producer says the future of a portion of its license in the Deepwater Tano Block is uncertain if changes are made to the maritime boundary demarcation between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire. It has 18 percent stake in the Deepwater Tano block in the Gulf of Guinea.

"Uncertainty remains with regard to the outcome of the boundary demarcation between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire and we do not know if the maritime boundary will change, therefore affecting our rights to explore and develop our discoveries or prospects within such areas," the Warburg Pincus and Blackstone Group (BX) backed company said in a filing form to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 25, 2011.

The Ghana Deputy Minister for Energy, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini has said that even though Cote d'Ivoire's claim of ownership is a concern to the people of Ghana, Ghanaians should not fret since they cannot claim sovereignty over the oil region given that the area is a disputed area. He indicated that Ghana would petition the United Nation's Border Commission if negotiations with Cote d'Ivoire failed.

Cote d'Ivoire President Ouattara paid a day visit to Ghana on October 7, where it is believed his discussions with his Ghanaian counterpart included how to solve the border dispute.

(Reporting from Ghana)