The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has taken delivery of approximately 950,000 barrels of light sweet crude oil from Ghana’s Sankofa-Gye Nyame (SGN) field, marking the first time a refinery in the country has processed crude from the offshore asset.
The cargo, transported aboard the vessel Sonangol Cazenga, was supplied by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) under a commercial arrangement between the two state institutions. The milestone was marked by a joint inspection of the vessel, led by GNPC Chief Executive Kwame Ntow Amoah and TOR Managing Director Edmond Kombat.
A Historic Milestone for Ghana’s Petroleum Sector
For TOR, the delivery represents a significant step in its operational revival. The refinery had been largely inactive since 2018 due to maintenance challenges and financial constraints, but resumed crude processing in December 2025 following extensive turnaround maintenance on its Crude Distillation Unit (CDU). The CDU work was completed over a three-month period from August 1 to October 30, 2025, in compliance with international engineering and safety standards.
President John Dramani Mahama announced the resumption of operations during his 2026 State of the Nation Address, stating, “For the first time since 2018, the refinery has commenced processing of crude oil into petroleum products again”. TOR is currently processing approximately 28,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd), with plans to restore its original nameplate capacity of 45,000 bpsd following the installation of a new furnace, F-61.
The Sankofa-Gye Nyame Field: A Strategic National Asset
The SGN field, located within the Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) block in deepwater offshore Ghana, is one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest integrated oil and non-associated gas developments. The field holds estimated recoverable reserves of approximately 185 million barrels of oil and condensates, along with 1.5 trillion cubic feet of non-associated gas.
As of December 31, 2025, the SGN field had cumulatively produced 109.78 million barrels of crude oil and 875.60 billion standard cubic feet of gas. In 2025 alone, the field produced 9.30 million barrels of liquids and exported 87.5 billion cubic feet of gas, reinforcing its position as the largest contributor to Ghana’s domestic gas supply.
Economic and Strategic Implications
The delivery of Sankofa crude to TOR is expected to reduce the costs associated with importing feedstock from distant markets. Managing Director Edmond Kombat noted that imported crude attracts additional expenses, including freight, insurance, and supplier premiums.
“Now instead of us buying crude from distance, long distances, and it coming with a lot of cost in terms of our freight, as well as insurance premiums and suppliers premiums, we have gotten this crude at a cheaper price compared to if we’re buying it elsewhere,” Kombat stated. He added that the lower cost of locally sourced crude could support TOR’s operations and contribute to greater stability in the domestic petroleum market.
The Sankofa crude is characterized as a medium-sweet grade with a gravity of approximately 28.9° API and a sulphur content of 0.30% m/m. This makes it suitable for refining into products including gasoline, gasoil, aviation fuel, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Strengthening Upstream-Downstream Linkages
The arrangement reflects a broader government strategy to integrate Ghana’s upstream, midstream, and downstream petroleum sectors. GNPC CEO Kwame Ntow Amoah emphasized the significance of the transaction beyond a simple commercial exchange.
“The supply of Sankofa crude to TOR on commercial terms represents more than a transaction between two state institutions. It is an opportunity to take a Ghanaian resource, process more of it in Ghana, and create value across our own petroleum industry,” Amoah said.
Amoah also noted that GNPC currently has approximately eight to ten similar crude cargoes available annually, and increased production could create opportunities to supply additional cargoes to TOR over time.
The Managing Director of TOR confirmed that the Sankofa cargo was fully paid for through a Letter of Credit accepted by GNPC, with no debt exposure arising from the transaction.
Future Collaboration and Exploration
Beyond crude supply, GNPC and TOR are exploring additional areas of collaboration, including the potential supply of natural gas to support the refinery’s operations. GNPC is also pursuing aggressive exploration efforts, including the Voltaian Basin exploratory programme, aimed at increasing production and sustaining crude supply to the refinery. Preparations are underway to drill Ghana’s first onshore exploration well in the Voltaian Basin before the end of 2026.
Acknowledgments
The TOR Managing Director expressed appreciation to President Mahama and Energy Minister John Abdulai Jinapor for their support, as well as to GNPC’s management and the refinery’s tolling partners, Fujairah and Triangle Commodities Trading, for their continued cooperation.
The delivery of the Sankofa cargo comes as TOR continues its phased transition toward full operational capacity, with all petroleum product streams now flowing to storage for the first time in several years.
