The 125,000 barrels per day Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company (WRPC), Warri refinery has commenced operations.
Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) disclosed this during a tour at the Warri refinery facility on Monday.
Addressing the team during the tour of the facility began on Monday, Kyari said, “This plant is running. Although it is not 100 percent complete, we are still in the process.
“Many people think these things are not real. They think real things are not possible in this country. We want you to see that this is real.”
“I must congratulate our team for their determination and extreme belief that this company can restart this plant.
“This has brought the result we are seeing in collaboration with our contractors. We have proved that it is possible to restart a plant that you deliberately shut down. We have proved this.
“This plant has three stages. We have started stage one which is called Area 1, able to produce AGO (diesel), Kerosene, naphtha and others. These are brands of high-quality products required in the country. We will also be able to export them. This country will make money to meet the promises of Mr president that this country will be an exporter of petroleum products.
“I must put on record the development was as a result of the charge by Mr President that we must get all three refineries to work. It is already happening. We have successfully started the Port Harcourt 65, 000 barrels per day refinery. We have also started the area 1 of the Warri refinery. The other plants that will produce PMS will also come live.
“Kaduna is also on stream. We are not going to give you a date but we will surprise you.”
Among the tour team was the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed.
Located at the Ekpan, Uwvie, and Ubeji, Warri, the Petrochemical plant produces 13,000 million tons per annum (MTA) of polypropylene and 18,000 MTA of carbon black.
Commissioned in 1978 and managed by the NNPCL, the WRPC (Warri refinery) was built to supply markets in the south and southwest regions of Nigeria.
The mechanical completion of the facility was earlier scheduled for completion in the first quarter of this year, according to the spokesperson for the NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye.
“Warri refinery should be done by Q1 (first quarter) 2024,” he stated.
The other two include the old and new Port Harcourt Refining Company in Rivers State, and the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company in Kaduna State.
Chronicle NG reports that the development comes following the commencement of crude refining at the old Port Harcourt Refinery recently.
