The Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Edmond Kombat, says the refinery has begun operating an extended service schedule as part of efforts to boost productivity and sustain its turnaround plan.

Kombat explained that TOR, which previously closed operations at 8:00 p.m., now runs a partial 24-hour system, often working until 11:00 p.m. and in some cases as late as 1:00 a.m. He said the extended hours have contributed significantly to meeting production targets.

According to him, the stringent measures recently introduced have also improved accountability in product storage. TOR’s storage facilities are now operating at full capacity, and customers are assured of receiving the exact quantities of products they deliver for storage—an improvement from past challenges.

Kombat noted that despite years of criticism and calls for TOR to be shut down, the refinery is witnessing steady operational progress. “I’m happy to report that there has been a turnaround in the refinery’s fortunes,” he said, adding that management is relying heavily on internally generated funds and staff expertise to drive the ongoing recovery.

He disclosed that management has undertaken a comprehensive “fishbone” analysis of TOR’s assets and liabilities to identify risks and conducted stakeholder mapping to determine key partners needed to resolve operational setbacks.

The MD further revealed that TOR is working to connect a new furnace, a critical step toward enabling the refinery to operate at its full capacity of 45,000 barrels per stream per day (bpsd). Test runs and system checks have already been completed.

“In the coming days, everything being equal, you will see the flare-up,” he said, noting that the journey toward revival has required discipline, teamwork, and many sleepless nights. “There are times at 1:00 a.m. we are all there to make sure things are done right. TOR has turned the tide.”

Kombat also acknowledged concerns among workers about job security, commending the refinery’s unions for resisting attempts to hand over core assets, including the furnace, to private operators.