The appointment of energy analyst, Dr. Yussif Sulemana as the Acting Managing Director (MD) of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has ignited hope and optimism among industry players signaling a possible turnaround for the national refinery.
Amid the challenges of Tema Oil Refinery, some industry players believe the over 20 years of experience of Dr. Sulemana in the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors of the energy industry coupled with his specialization in oil and gas production, will come to bear in transforming the refinery.
One key industry expert who is reposing confidence in the new acting managing director is Nana Amoasi VII, the Executive Director of the Institute of Energy Security (IES). Nana Amoasi VII says Dr. Sulemana has the experience and capacity to turn things around given his vast knowledge and experience in operations.
He further indicates that the fact that Dr. Yussif Sulemana has worked at TOR before also makes him more suitable for the role since the operational challenges of the company lay bare before him.
Nana Amoasi also maintains that the acting MD’s global experience in working in refineries across the world puts him in a better position to implement best practices and technologies to revive the refinery which is becoming a white elephant.
“Dr. Sulemana is an operational guy. He’s worked with TOR before. He’s worked with other refineries outside the country and so when it comes to refinery operations we have no doubt that he understands the domain that he’s going to work in,” the Executive Director of IES remarked in an interview monitored by The High Street Journal.
He confidently expressed that, “The issues at TOR are not alien to him. He knows very well because he’s going back to his former colleagues and we believe with hindsight he will perform.”
The energy analyst’s appointment comes at a critical time in the refinery’s life where it is facing significant operational challenges. Among a number of the issues TOR is grappling with is its underutilized infrastructure.
Experts reveal that the facility is operating at about 25,000 barrels per stream day which is significantly below its designed capacity of 45,000 barrels per stream day. This underutilization has led to higher deterioration rates of expensive machinery and compounded operational losses.
In addition, financial constraints have further hampered TOR’s operations. Reliance on credits and loans to finance activities has exposed the company to oil price risks and increased its debt burden. This is further worsened by exchange rate losses from foreign-denominated debts.
Nana Amoasi VII confirms that “the most important thing that we need today at TOR is funding. If they have money, they can retool their system, they can revamp, they can upgrade, they can build a new facility. And I tell you, TOR needs a new crude distillation facility.”
“The old one is not efficient so we need a capital injection in TOR,” he added.
Despite the troubles of TOR, industry watchers are optimistic that Dr. Sulemana’s extensive experience, both within TOR and in international settings, positions him as a transformative leader capable of steering the refinery toward a more sustainable and prosperous future.
His appointment has rekindled hope among industry stakeholders, who believe that under his leadership, TOR can overcome its challenges and reclaim its status as a cornerstone of Ghana’s energy infrastructure.
Dr. Yussif Sulemana, a highly regarded energy analyst and recipient of the Energy Advocate of the Year award at the Ghana Energy Awards, currently serves as a Senior Oil & Gas Production Operations Specialist at Petroleum Development Oman (PDO).
With a strong background in the energy sector, he has previously held key roles, including Gasification Project Manager at Genser Energy and Chemical/Process Engineer at Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).
Academically, Dr. Sulemana holds a Doctorate in Business Administration (Energy Management) from the USA, an MSc in International Oil & Gas Management from the UK, and a BSc in Chemical Engineering from KNUST, solidifying his expertise in oil and gas operations.
