Tema Oil Refinery Refines One Million Barrels of Crude Oil
Accra, Ghana – The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) is currently refining one million barrels of crude oil, marking a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to restore Ghana’s premier refinery to full and sustainable operations.
The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr John Abdulai Jinapor, announced the development during a ceremony celebrating the delivery of Jubilee crude oil to the Sentuo Oil Refinery.
TOR Receives Crude Oil Shipment and Resumes Refining
According to Dr Jinapor, the Tema Oil Refinery received a shipment of one million barrels of crude oil on 27 May 2026 and successfully recommenced refining operations on 3 June 2026.
The crude cargo, identified as Bonga crude — a premium Nigerian light sweet crude purchased from Shell — was delivered aboard the vessel MT Cap Felix under a tolling arrangement with Fujeirah/Triangle Commodities Trading (TCT).
Bonga crude is valued for its low sulphur content, making it cost-efficient to refine and capable of producing a wide range of petroleum products, including LPG, petrol, diesel, kerosene, aviation turbine kerosene (ATK), and fuel oil.
A Breakthrough for Ghana’s Energy Sector
Dr Jinapor described the refinery’s return to operations as a breakthrough in the government’s broader strategy to revive the state-owned facility and strengthen Ghana’s downstream petroleum industry.
He noted that the resumption of refining activities represents an important step towards:
- Reducing Ghana’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products
- Enhancing national energy security and stabilising domestic fuel supply
- Promoting local value addition within the petroleum sector
Stable Crude Oil Supply Secured
The Minister further disclosed that a stable crude oil supply arrangement has been put in place to support continuous refinery operations and ensure a reliable supply of petroleum products to the domestic market.
TOR is also expected to receive a second consignment of locally produced crude oil as part of the government’s strategy to refine more of Ghana’s own crude resources. President John Dramani Mahama confirmed during a diaspora town hall meeting in London on 31 May 2026 that Ghanaian crude from the country’s offshore fields will be delivered to TOR for processing from June 2026.
Background: TOR’s Operational Restart
The Tema Oil Refinery officially resumed crude oil refining on 19 December 2025, after several years of inactivity. The restart followed the successful completion of major Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) works on the refinery’s Crude Distillation Unit (CDU), carried out between August and October 2025.
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) conducted comprehensive regulatory inspections and granted clearance for TOR to resume operations after confirming full compliance with all mandatory safety and operational requirements.
The refinery is currently operating at approximately 28,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd), with plans to restore its original nameplate capacity of 45,000 bpsd following the commissioning of a new furnace (F-61), and a medium-term target of 60,000 bpsd after the installation of a new air-cooler.
Outlook
The successful restart and ongoing crude processing at TOR demonstrate the benefits of collaboration between government and industry stakeholders in advancing industrialisation, energy security, and economic growth in Ghana. The development is expected to significantly boost domestic refining capacity and contribute to the broader objective of strengthening Ghana’s downstream petroleum industry.