'Ghana has same medium sweet crude with Ivory Coast and Nigeria; If TOR refines theirs why not ours' — MD quizzes propagandists

The Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Edmond Kombat, has dismissed claims that the refinery lacks the capacity to process Ghanaian crude oil, insisting that the facility has been refining different crude grades, including locally produced oil.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, October 26, 2026, Mr Kombat displayed samples of crude and petroleum products processed by TOR to demonstrate the refinery's capabilities.

“In the past, you would have heard that TOR cannot refine Ghanaian crude and all of it,” he said.

He described such claims as “economic propaganda” by individuals who, according to him, did not want state institutions to operate effectively.

“It was just economic propaganda by people who didn't want our state institutions to run. In fact, all the Equatorial basin, between Nigeria all the way through Ivory Coast, has the same crude, they are medium sweet crude. So, we refine Nigerian crude, we refine Ivorian crude, how can we refine Nigerian crude, Ivorian crude but cannot refine Ghanaian crude," Mr Kombat explained.

Medium sweet crude oil is generally characterised by moderate density and low sulphur content, making it suitable for processing into various petroleum products.

At the briefing, Mr Kombat displayed products derived from crude processed by TOR, including Sankofa crude and naphtha, Jubilee crude, residue fuel used by electric power plants, heavy gasoil (diesel), premix fuel and aviation turbine kerosene (ATK).

He said TOR supplied all the premix fuel used by fisherfolk across Ghana for their outboard motors, describing the refinery's role in supporting the country's fishing industry as significant.

According to him, Ghana has about three million fisherfolk operating along the coast from Axim to Keta, and TOR ensures that sufficient premix fuel is produced to prevent shortages.

He added that the quantities of premix fuel supplied had recently been increased fivefold to ensure consistent availability.

TOR highlights benefits of refining Ghanaian crude locally

Mr Kombat also emphasised the economic importance of processing Ghanaian crude oil locally, saying the practice would help retain more value within the domestic economy and advance the government's value-addition agenda.

“Refining Ghanaian crude in Ghana keeps value onshore. It fulfills the value addition vision of the President for Ghana,” he said at the Government Accountability Press Conference at Jubilee House in Accra.

The TOR Managing Director disclosed that the refinery had received four crude cargoes, each containing five million barrels, since May 2026.

The cargoes comprised Bonga, Baleine and Bonnie Light, followed by Ghana's own Jubilee Medium Sweet crude, which was delivered aboard the MT Apache on July 15.

His remarks come amid discussions about TOR's operational capacity and its role in processing locally produced crude oil to support domestic petroleum supply and value addition.