Ghana has achieved a significant milestone in its energy sector with the first delivery of Jubilee crude oil to be refined locally at the Sentuo Oil Refinery in Tema.

The development marks a shift in the country’s petroleum value chain, as crude oil previously exported will now be processed domestically to produce refined petroleum products.

Speaking at the crude oil berthing ceremony, Executive Chairman of Sentuo Oil Refinery, Ningquan Xu, described the moment as a historic step in Ghana’s industrial transformation agenda.

“For many years, Ghana exported crude oil while importing refined petroleum products.

We exported value and imported dependency,” he said.

Mr. Xu noted that the local refining of Jubilee crude is expected to boost job creation, enhance energy security, and allow Ghana to retain more value from its natural resources.

He also announced that President John Dramani Mahama is expected to cut the sod for Phase Two of the Sentuo Refinery Expansion Project on June 24, 2026.

The expansion is projected to significantly increase refining capacity and generate thousands of additional jobs.

According to the company, the development positions Ghana on a path to becoming a regional petroleum processing and trading hub serving West Africa and the Sahel region.

“History will remember this moment as the day Ghana refined more of its own resources for its own development,” Mr. Xu stated