TOR RESUMES OPERATIONS (PAGE 3)

THE Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) which was shut down last January for maintenance works will resume regular supply of petroleum products to the consuming market from Monday, June 22.
The plant is 92 per cent through with the maintenance works, with the remaining eight per cent of work to be done representing fine-tuning the parameters of the equipment to ensure a smooth start up.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Public Affairs Manager of TOR, Mrs Aba Lokko, confirmed the completion of work and gave the assurance of a regular supply from Monday.
She said the plant had to be shut down completely in mid January to enable the Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC ) to undergo major routine maintenance works.
Mrs Lokko explained that the RFCC ran a complex business process and, therefore, needed to undergo utility tests several times to ensure that it synchronised after fine-tuning.
She said the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) had residue input for the RFCC and, therefore, the plant had no problem supplying the market.
Mrs Lokko gave the assurance that there would not be any shortage of fuel because finished products brought in by private oil companies were still being supplied.
She said TOR would supply petrol, gas oil, liquefied petroleum gas and all the other by-products.
When motorists got wind of the closure of the refinery early this month, there was a rush for petroleum products, which created a shortage on the market.
This was followed by rumours about increases in the price of petroleum products, adding to the woes of motorists.
However, with the deregulation, private oil companies lifted finished products to fill the yawning gap and sought the assistance of TOR in the storage and supply of the products.