The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has resumed crude oil refining operations after several years of inactivity, describing the development as a “historic milestone in the revitalization of Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector.”
The refinery said the restart follows the successful completion of major Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) works on its Crude Distillation Unit between August 1 and October 30, 2025, executed “in strict compliance with international engineering, safety, and operational standards.”
According to TOR, the National Petroleum Authority conducted comprehensive regulatory inspections after the maintenance works and confirmed the refinery’s “full compliance with all mandatory safety and operational requirements,” leading to regulatory clearance to resume operations.
Refining activities began on Friday, December 19, 2025, with TOR noting that “all lines of petroleum products went into storage for the first time in several years.”
Management said the refinery will continue operating under a phased transition ahead of its official recommissioning to stabilize systems and optimize performance. TOR also announced the completion of a new furnace, F-61, which it said will restore output to 45,000 barrels per stream day, from the current 28,000 bpsd, with a strategic pathway to expand capacity to 60,000 bpsd in the medium term.
In the statement, TOR expressed appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama and Energy and Green Transition Minister Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor for their support, while commending its Board, management, and staff for what it described as their “enthusiasm, resilience, professionalism, and unwavering sense of purpose.”
