The Ghanaian government is studying the possibility of entering a joint venture project with PetroSaudi, a Saudi Arabian company active in the Oil and Gas industry. The plan, said Patrick Mahony of PetroSaudi, is to improve the overall efficiency and output of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).
The deal, once completed, would fine-tune the operations of TOR in a comprehensive manner, from processes to management.
In response to a question from a Ghana MP enquiring about whether TO is functioning at its full capacity, Mr. Jinapor replied that company is not currently at maximum capacity because of operational imperfections and its current inability to secure funds to purchase sufficient crude oil.
It is this issue which prompted the government to elaborate a joint venture plan with PetroSaudi. Patrick Mahony and his team of experts will be in charge of addressing issues of efficiency in order to restore TOR’s production at satisfactory levels.
Answering yet another question from William Owuraku Aidoo, MP for Afigya Kwabre South, who asked for the causes of the current power shortages in Ghana and how long they were expecting them to last, Mr. Jinapor said the problem was mainly due to unstable gas supplies from the West African pipeline, multiple maintenance interventions on key power plants and low water levels in the dams (Akosombo and Bui).
Mr. Jinapor assured that the Ministry was making every effort in collaboration with power suppliers to restore a reliable power supply as quickly as possible.
The Deputy Minister informed the press that once the TICO Expansion Project would supply 110 megawatts, by the beginning of 2015, power generation and supply issues would substantially diminish.
Moreover, an additional 450 megawatts will be produced as of Q2 of 2015, said the Deputy Minister.
The Ghanaian government is currently in talks with Nigeria to secure a reliable flow of gas to help thermal power plants function at satisfactory levels.
