Fuel quality: ‘We’re not playing soft with SORL; they've been sanctioned, high vapour pressure petrol suspended‘ — NPA to COPEC, IES

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) of Ghana has imposed sanctions on the Sentuo Oil Refinery Limited (SORL) after a consignment of petrol it produced failed quality tests.

In a statement dated February 22, the NPA confirmed it had directed SORL to suspend sales and evacuation of the defective product after monitors found the petrol's vapour pressure exceeded national standards.

"During NPA's monitoring and verification exercise on the 16th of February 2024, the petrol consignment in question was noted to exhibit vapour pressure above the maximum requirement per the Ghana Standard for Petrol, GS 140:2022," the statement reads in part.

It adds that sanctions have been imposed on SORL beyond the remedial actions taken.

The sanctions come after criticism from Ghana's Institute of Energy Security (IES) and Chamber for Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), which had alleged the regulator was being too lenient with the new refinery.

"It is incorrect and alarmist for the IES and COPEC to allege that the NPA is 'playing soft' with SORL 'to the detriment of consumers and the state'," the NPA statement shoots back.

This failure of national standards by SORL raises questions about quality control at the refinery, which only received test-run authorization in October 2023.

Read full statement below: