Star Oil Overtakes GOIL to Lead Ghana’s Petroleum Market, Could Cheaper Rates Be Driving the Surge?

Star Oil has officially cemented its position as Ghana’s leading oil marketing company (OMC), surpassing state-owned GOIL in petroleum sales for the first five months of 2025, according to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA)’s Oil Marketing Companies Performance Statistics.

“The indigenous firm sold a total of 336.3 million litres of petroleum products between January and May, overtaking GOIL, which recorded 271.3 million litres within the same period,” The NPA noted.

This marks a significant milestone for Star Oil, which, while occasionally topping monthly sales, has now firmly established itself as the market leader.

Market Breakdown

The NPA report showed Star Oil’s half-year sales reached 403 million litres, comprising:

Petrol: 193.9 million litres

Diesel: 139.3 million litres

LPG: 3.1 million litres

GOIL, previously the dominant player, sold:

Petrol: 156 million litres

Diesel: 111 million litres

LPG: 3.6 million litres

Other competitors in the top five include:

Vivo Energy (Shell) – 206 million litres

TotalEnergies – 149 million litres

Zen Petroleum – 82 million litres

The rankings show Star Oil at the top, followed by GOIL, Vivo Energy, TotalEnergies, and Zen Petroleum.

Could Cheaper Prices Be the Game Changer?

Industry analysts suggest that competitive pricing strategies by Star Oil might be driving its market dominance. Consumers continue to seek value in the face of economic pressures, with petroleum prices remaining a major household and business cost centre.

The data also revealed rising contenders such as Moari Oil Company, which sold 85 million litres, and Benab Oil, recording 77 million litres. Frimps Oil sold 56 million litres within the period under review.

In total, over 2.4 billion litres of petroleum products were sold by more than 200 OMCs in Ghana from January to May 2025.

Star Oil’s impact extends beyond market leadership. Its published financials for the first half of 2025 revealed the company paid GHS 1.1 billion in taxes to the government. It also boasts 2,546 direct employees and operates 240 fuel stations nationwide.

The company’s sustained performance signals a competitive shift in Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector, reflecting the growing strength of indigenous firms in an industry historically dominated by state-owned and multinational brands.

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