Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Hon. Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, has held discussions with the Ghana Upstream Petroleum Chamber on the state of the country’s upstream petroleum industry and measures to reverse the sustained decline in oil production.
The engagement focused on strengthening investor confidence, improving the competitiveness of the sector and creating conditions that can attract increased investment into Ghana’s upstream petroleum industry.
Hon. Dr. Jinapor said government intends to build on ongoing reforms to make the sector more competitive and provide a more attractive environment for investors.
Reversing the decline in crude oil production remains a key priority for government, while efforts are also being directed towards increasing domestic gas production to meet rising demand, particularly from the power sector.
According to the minister, government is implementing a range of policy, regulatory and infrastructure measures to achieve these objectives. These include a review of Ghana’s upstream petroleum legal and regulatory framework, aimed at improving the sector’s investment climate and competitiveness.
Hon. Dr. Jinapor also stressed the need to maximise the value of Ghana’s petroleum resources by increasing the processing and utilisation of oil and gas domestically.
He noted that boosting domestic gas supply would be particularly important for strengthening energy security and reducing the country’s dependence on imported natural gas and other energy products for power generation.
The meeting also allowed the government to consider concerns raised by industry players and explore ways to deepen cooperation between the public and private sectors.
Hon. Dr. Jinapor described the engagement with the Ghana Upstream Petroleum Chamber as constructive, stressing that sustained collaboration between government and industry would be necessary to develop a more competitive, predictable and sustainable petroleum sector.
Ghana’s crude oil production has declined for six consecutive years, dropping from a peak of 71.44 million barrels in 2019 to 37.3 million barrels in 2025, according to data from the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC).