The management of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has refuted claims that the facility has shut down due to insufficient government investment, calling such reports inaccurate.

Speaking to Citi Business News on Friday, February 20, 2026, TOR’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Godwin Mahama Ayaba, explained that the refinery is currently transitioning into the second phase of its operational ramp-up following a successful test run after years of inactivity.

He said TOR is preparing to integrate the F-61 furnace with the existing F-1 furnace to power the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU), a process expected to boost production capacity from 28,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd) to 45,000 bpsd.

“Obviously, that preparation cannot be done whilst there is an ongoing process. Technically, you need to pause operations to prepare for the tie-in. That is exactly what we are doing,” he said.

Mr. Ayaba stressed that caution is essential, particularly because the F-61 furnace experienced an explosion in 2017. “In bringing it back into operation, we must adhere to all engineering requirements to avoid a repeat of the 2017 incident,” he added.

He also revealed that Vega Engineering, the Italian firm that built the F-61 furnace, will supervise its commissioning before transferring control to TOR’s internal engineers.

“All preparations are underway to bring the F-61 online so we can reach 45,000 bpsd, up from the current 28,000 bpsd,” Mr. Ayaba confirmed.

He reiterated that the refinery’s current operational status is not the result of maintenance issues, technical problems, or funding shortages.

“The narrative suggesting a lack of investment, funding constraints, or technical issues is simply not true,” he said.