Automating regulatory compliance in the upstream oil and gas sector of Ghana

This project originated as part of the PhD work of my student Joseph Anim. It leverages Semantic Web technologies for compliance checking in Ghana's upstream petroleum industry, focusing on local content and participation governed by the Petroleum (Local Content and Local Participation) Regulations. The research demonstrates that Semantic Web technologies are highly effective in automating documentary compliance checking, particularly through the use of SHACL-SPARQL for legal reasoning.

A key contribution of this work is the development of a computational artifact comprising a three-module OWL ontology, SHACL-SPARQL rules, and SHACL shapes. This artifact is evaluated using competence questions (CQs), which are assessed via a web application. The web app collects data based on the Annual Local Content Plan, the primary due diligence document used by the Ghana Petroleum Commission to ensure compliance with local content and participation regulations. The computational artifact then evaluates this data against the selected regulations, identifying compliance or non-compliance. This streamlines the process for both companies and the Petroleum Commission. Results have been presented in [Anim et al. 2024].

This research pioneers efforts to apply advanced Semantic Web technologies to real-world legal compliance challenges, providing a scalable and efficient solution for Ghana's upstream petroleum industry and potentially other regulatory domains. The work has since received funding through the ESRC Impact Accelerator Account to begin discussions with the Ghana Petroleum Commission, with the goal of scaling up the web application for industrial use.