Ghana is preparing to process crude from its own oil fields at home, a shift that could strengthen the country’s energy security and allow it to retain more value from its petroleum resources.
President John Dramani Mahama announced that the first parcel of Ghanaian crude will be delivered to a local refinery in June 2026, marking a major step in the country’s push to reduce dependence on imported refined petroleum products. The crude will be processed at the Tema Oil Refinery, Ghana’s long-standing state-owned refinery.
The move places Ghana crude oil refining within a broader African shift toward domestic processing. Nigeria’s Dangote refinery has already changed the regional fuel conversation, while Angola’s Cabinda refinery has begun operations as African oil producers try to move away from exporting crude and importing finished fuel at higher cost.
For Ghana, the logic is straightforward. The country produces crude oil from offshore fields but has continued to rely heavily on imported petrol, diesel and other refined products. That structure exposes the economy to global price shocks, foreign exchange pressure and high freight costs. Reuters previously reported that Ghana was spending about $400 million monthly on fuel imports, underlining why local refining has become a strategic priority.
Tema Oil Refinery remains central to the plan. The refinery was built in 1963 and has long served as Ghana’s main refining asset, with a crude distillation capacity historically placed at 45,000 barrels per stream day. Its performance has, however, been limited over the years by debt, maintenance challenges and underinvestment. Recent plans to restore and expand TOR’s capacity have given fresh weight to the June delivery. Business Insider Africa reported in March that Tema Oil Refinery was working to raise processing capacity from 28,000 to 45,000 barrels per day through a new fuel processing unit, a move aimed at strengthening domestic supply and cutting reliance on imported products.
Ghana’s refining landscape is also changing because of Sentuo Oil Refinery in Tema. The privately owned facility lists a planned capacity of 120,000 barrels per day, while industry reporting has described its phased development from an initial capacity of about 40,000 barrels per day toward 120,000 barrels per day. Sentuo’s ability to process Ghanaian crude gives the country another pathway for expanding local refining beyond TOR alone.
The government’s wider ambition goes beyond supplying local pumps. Ghana began construction of a $12 billion petroleum hub in Jomoro in 2024, a project designed to include a 300,000-barrel-per-day refinery and position the country as a regional petroleum products hub by 2036. That long-term vision will depend on execution. Refining requires steady crude supply, financing, efficient plant operations, transparent fuel pricing and strong maintenance discipline. Ghana has tried to revive domestic refining before, and the sector’s history shows that political announcements only matter when refineries run reliably and competitively.
The June delivery still carries real significance. It signals that Ghana wants to move further into the value chain instead of leaving most of the benefit of its crude oil to foreign refiners. If TOR and Sentuo can operate consistently, Ghana could reduce import pressure, protect more foreign exchange, create industrial jobs and strengthen its position in West Africa’s changing energy market.
