Ghana: Tema Oil Refinery Hosts Uganda Revenue Authority Delegation

Ghana’s premier oil refinery, Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) on Wednesday hosted a delegation from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) as part of an information exchange programme.

The delegation, accompanied by representatives of Ghana’s Petroleum Commission, was received by TOR Managing Director Edmond Kombat and Deputy Managing Director Alhaji Mustapha Batalima Abubakar.

TOR’s technical team briefed the visitors on how crude oil is converted into finished petroleum products and shared the refinery’s experience in processing domestically produced crude.

Delegation leader Arthur Musinguci said the visit would help the team better understand the refining process as Uganda prepares for its first oil production and pursues plans to develop a domestic refinery.

He said the delegation was keen to learn from TOR’s experience as Uganda works towards processing its crude locally.

Uganda’s Kingfisher oilfield holds an estimated 560 million barrels of oil in place, of which about 190 million barrels, or roughly 34%, are expected to be recovered over 20 to 25 years.

Speaking separately at African Energy Week in Cape Town, Kristina Kasebayo, head of compliance at the Uganda National Oil Company, said Uganda expected to begin producing oil before the end of its financial year in June 2027.

“First oil will start before the end of our financial year, June 2027. Moreover, this will position us as an oil-producing country,” she said.

Kasebayo said a final investment decision (FID) on the proposed domestic refinery was targeted for February 2027.

She added that the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) was 92% complete, with crude exports expected to begin after production starts.

The pipeline will transport Ugandan crude to a port in Tanzania for export to international markets.

First production would mark a major milestone for Uganda, about two decades after its first commercial oil discoveries in 2006. Export infrastructure and supporting regulatory frameworks have been central to efforts to bring the country’s resources to market.