The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has reaffirmed that it has the technical capacity to refine crude oil produced from Ghana’s oil fields, countering claims suggesting the refinery is unable to process locally sourced crude.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, the Corporate Affairs Officer in charge of External Affairs at TOR, Godwin Mahama Ayaba, said the refinery possessed the necessary equipment and technical expertise to refine Ghana’s crude, particularly from the Jubilee Field and the TEN Field.
He explained that records available at the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition and at the refinery itself showed that TOR had previously processed crude produced from Ghana’s fields.
Mr Ayaba cited an instance in 2016 when the Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Energy, facilitated the supply of about one million barrels of crude oil from the TEN Field to the refinery for processing.
“That arrangement is a testament to the fact that TOR has the capacity to refine our local crude,” he said.
He added that discussions were currently far advanced between the government, the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition and the refinery on the possibility of supplying additional crude from Ghana’s fields to TOR for processing.
Light, sweet crude
Mr Ayaba explained that crude produced from Ghana’s fields is classified as light and sweet crude, which matches the type of crude oil the refinery’s facilities were designed to process.
“For that matter, any crude that is light and sweet can be refined by the Tema Oil Refinery,” he added.
He further stated that technical assessments conducted by engineers at the refinery confirmed that TOR could refine Ghana’s crude even with its current operational equipment.
Currently, the refinery is operating at about 28,000 barrels per stream day, but steps are being taken to significantly increase output.
Capacity expansion plans
Mr Ayaba said the refinery was preparing to connect the F-61 furnace to the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU), alongside the already operational F-1 furnace. The move is expected to increase refining capacity from 28,000 barrels per stream day to 45,000 barrels per stream day.
He said the tie-in exercise was expected to be completed on or before the end of next month.
“In the medium term, we will further optimise operations to increase capacity from 45,000 to 60,000 barrels per stream day,” Mr Ayaba added.
He also disclosed that TOR was pursuing a long-term expansion strategy involving the installation of a new refinery unit with a capacity of 100,000 barrels per day.
According to him, once completed, the additional facility will increase the refinery’s total capacity from 60,000 barrels per stream day to about 160,000 barrels per stream day.
Mr Ayaba said the refinery was gradually returning to full operations and added that President John Dramani Mahama was expected to lead the official recommissioning of the facility as part of efforts to restore TOR to full operational capacity.
“TOR is back on track, and we will continue to work to expand our capacity and support Ghana’s energy security,” he stated.
Analyst clarifies remarks
Meanwhile, an energy analyst and Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, Yussif Sulemana, has issued a clarification following what he described as misleading headlines arising from a recent media interview.
Dr Sulemana said some online reports misrepresented comments he made during an interview with Citi FM on March 9, 2026.
In a statement, he explained that his remarks during the interview focused on the economic considerations that guide decisions on sourcing crude oil for the Tema Oil Refinery.
He said the refinery has the infrastructural capacity to refine locally produced crude but emphasised that the choice of crude supply should ultimately be determined by price competitiveness and the overall economic benefit to the country.
Dr Sulemana added that if exporting locally produced crude oil proves more profitable for Ghana, it could be economically reasonable for the country to import crude to supply the refinery.
“The decision concerning the source of crude oil for refining is primarily guided by considerations of price competitiveness and overall profitability to the nation,” he stated.
He emphasised that his comments were made strictly within the context of ensuring economic efficiency and safeguarding the national interest in the operations of the Tema Oil Refinery, expressing the hope that the clarification would help place the matter in its proper perspective.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
