Sentuo Oil Refinery receives first one million barrels of Jubilee crude

Sentuo Oil Refinery has received its first consignment of one million barrels of crude oil from the Jubilee Field, marking a significant step in efforts to process more of Ghana’s crude domestically and strengthen the country’s refining capacity.

The crude delivery to the Tema-based refinery was announced at a ceremony attended by government officials and industry stakeholders, who said the initiative would support fuel security and industrial growth.

Addressing the gathering, the Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Dr John Jinapor, said Ghana’s long-standing practice of exporting crude oil and importing refined products “was unsustainable.”

He explained that recent volatility in global energy markets had underscored the need to refine more crude locally.

“Government had subsidised diesel by GH¢2 per litre for one month, and is still subsidising by GH¢1 per litre. President John Dramani Mahama directed that the Ministry of Energy should explore the possibility of refining our own crude oil here in Ghana rather than exporting the crude oil in raw form,” Dr Jinapor said.

He added that domestic refining would improve fuel supply security, retain foreign exchange and support employment creation and related industries. He also called for additional crude supplies from the Jubilee partners, saying, “We are waiting for round two to four, and all the rounds forever. It shouldn’t be a one-day activity.”

Executive Chairman of Sentuo Group, Ningquan Xu, said the commencement of local processing represented a new phase for Ghana’s petroleum industry and would help generate employment and enhance value addition.

The Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, said the development was in line with the government’s industrialisation agenda.

“For more than 15 years, we watched our crude leave our shores and return as finished products at prices we could not control. Today, that cycle begins to change,” she said.

In a statement, Tullow Oil, operator of the Jubilee Field, said the arrangement would enable crude from the field to be processed locally for the Ghanaian market. It added that the initiative would help strengthen refining capacity and enhance energy security.

Managing Director of Tullow Ghana, Jean-Medard Madama, said the move reflected the partners’ commitment to supporting the country’s energy sector.

“Facilitating access to locally produced crude for domestic refining helps strengthen the links across the petroleum value chain while contributing to energy security, industrial growth and long-term value creation for the country,” he said.

The latest delivery is expected to support operations at the privately-owned refinery and deepen efforts to increase local value addition within Ghana’s petroleum industry.