Paper short abstract:

This article analyses the interplay between the government authority and the petroleum companies in the Ghanaian downstream petroleum industry. It zooms in on the social practices of competition and corruption and situates it in a larger context of international petroleum extraction.

Paper long abstract:

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) in Ghana was established in 2005 to regulate and oversee the actors in the downstream petroleum industry. After the discovery of domestic commercially extractable oil in the Jubilee-field in 2007, there has been a sense of urgency and increased competition among the actors in the industry. Petroleum companies expand their business by increasing outlets, stocking equipment, and growing their distribution potential. To succeed in this process the petroleum companies need to acquire licenses and other formal documents from NPA. This creates room to maneuver for both employees within the government authority and for those operating the petroleum companies. This article looks into the strategies employed by petroleum companies to "get ahead" in the industry. Building on the framework of "anthropology of oil", this article argues that the governing of oil in the Ghanaian downstream industry occurs in several spheres and is influenced by multiple tendencies. Consequently, both power relations in the extractive industries and in the specific local industry need to be incorporated into the analysis when addressing issues as corruption. Furthermore, investigation into notions of why it is particularly important to grow in the petroleum industry is essential. The sense of urgency is reflected in the social spaces surrounding the industry, mirroring the fact that oil is a non-renewable resource that has a certain timespan. "Getting ahead" becomes a primary goal, and corrupt practices become the more reliable route for achieving that goal. This article argues that a web of influences, both material and social, fuels corruption in the industry.