By Ayo Kehinde
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has said the 125,000 barrels per day Warri Refining & Petrochemicals Company (WRPC) in Warri, Delta State, has commenced operation.
The NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, announced this during a tour of the facility on Monday.
A video clip by Channels Television showed Kyari addressing a tour team, which included the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed.
He said, “We are taking you through our plant. 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.”
The resumption of operation at the refinery, comes barely a month after the commencement of operations at the 60,000-barrel-per-day-old Port Harcourt Refinery.
Located at the Ekpan, Uwvie, and Ubeji, Warri, the Petrochemical plant Commissioned in 1978. It produces 13,000 million tonnes per annum (MTA) of polypropylene and 18,000 MTA of carbon black.
