Ghanaians have been urged to remain calm over concerns of a possible fuel shortage as the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) says the country has sufficient petroleum reserves to last several weeks, even as instability in the Middle East threatens global oil markets.

The assurance comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, whose recent military actions and the broader regional conflict, involving Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, have raised fears of supply disruptions and rising crude prices worldwide.

NPA’s Director of Economic Regulation and Planning, Abass Ibrahim Tasunti, acknowledged that Ghana’s dependence on imported petroleum products means the country cannot be entirely insulated from global shocks.

However, he stressed that safeguards are firmly in place to maintain stable supplies and prevent immediate shortages.

"As of last Friday, we have diesel stocks to last us over five weeks. Roughly, it will last us up to 5.3 weeks. And then for petrol, we have almost 6.8 weeks to last," Mr Tasunti disclosed during an interview on The Probe on JoyNews on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

He clarified that these reserves were not built in response to the current conflict but are part of the authority’s routine stock management strategy.

"Even without this war, we always ensure that we have a plan to make petroleum products available for consumers in the country. So this is not something that is being done because of the war, but it's something we do on the regular. It's one of NPA's major mandates," he stated.

Beyond stored reserves, the NPA says continuous imports and local production are helping to stabilise the market.

According to Mr Tasunti, petroleum products are discharged almost daily, while domestic processing facilities remain active.

"So we have a plan where almost every day, discharge of petroleum products are being done. That's for the imported products. And we also have the Sentuo oil refinery, which is consistently producing. It has been doing so since June 2025. And as we speak, they are producing on a daily basis and putting petroleum products on the market. The Atuabo gas processing plant is also producing and putting LPG on the market. So in terms of stocks, whilst we consume what is in-tank, we have a plan for import as well."

The authority noted that it keeps a close watch on inventory levels and schedules shipments well in advance to avoid any supply gaps. Several fuel vessels, including two diesel and two petrol cargoes, are currently anchored at Tema awaiting discharge, with additional deliveries already lined up.

The steady flow of imports, combined with local refining and gas processing, should protect consumers and businesses from disruptions despite uncertainty in international markets, it is expected.

With the conflict abroad continuing to unsettle global energy prices, the NPA maintains that Ghana’s fuel supply remains secure for now and that contingency plans are ready to cushion the country against external shocks.