The Tema Oil Refinery says it is not true that it lacks the technical capacity to refine crude oil from the Jubilee Field. Deputy Energy Minister Emmanuel Kofi Buah in an interview during Multi TV’s special coverage of first oil repeated earlier comments by his ministry’s public relations officer that the refinery is not in a position currently to process Ghana’s crude. “As you know, a refinery is set up for specific crude. A lot of tests need to be done and a lot of engineering work has to be done [before TOR can refine the Jubilee Oil],” Mr Buah said. But TOR’s Public Affairs Manager Aba Lokko says the Deputy Minister’s submission cannot be correct. “The Jubilee Oil falls within the kinds of crude that [TOR] can refine. The Jubilee Oil is the best stock of raw material that the refinery can use for its refining processes so it is not accurate to say that TOR does not have the technical capabilities. If we bought the crude today we could refine it today, we do not need to adjust any parameters at all to refine it,” she stated. Mrs Aba Lokko, however emphasized that the government has a point in planning to market the product on the international market first. “I agree with the government’s position that being a new crude and premium crude as such, it needs to be marketed on the international market to give it the needed exposure.” The TOR PRO said whether they will buy their crude oil from the Jubilee Fields will largely depend on the price of the commodity. Source: Joy Business/Ghana