By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu has expressed joy at the re-opening of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company located in Delta State, the South-South region of the country by the state-owned oil firm, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari had during a tour of the facility on Monday announced that the 125, 000 barrels per day Warri Refining & Petrochemicals Company (WRPC) in Warri is now up and running.
This comes months after the Port Harcourt refinery commenced operations.
“We are taking you through our plant. This plant is running. Although it is not 100 per cent 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”, Kyari told a team comprising Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed and others before the tour.
He said the refinery first commissioned in 1978 and managed by the defunct NNPC is currently on the Area 1 stage of operations.
“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”, he stated.
Reacting to the development, President Tinubu in a statement through his Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga described the development as another remarkable achievement in 2024 that has strengthened Nigerians’ hope in his administration.
“With Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) going into operation after several years of inactivity, President Tinubu has once again expressed his administration’s determination to ramp up local refining capacity and make Nigeria a hub for downstream industrial activities in Africa”, the statement says.
President Tinubu noted with confidence that with the 125,000 (bpd) Warri Refinery now operating at 60% capacity, his administration’s comprehensive plan to ensure energy efficiency and security is entirely on course.
He praised the Mele Kyari-led management of the NNPCL for working hard to restore Nigeria’s glory and pride as a major oil-producing country.
The mechanical completion of the facility was earlier scheduled for completion in the first quarter of this year.
NNPCL has also indicated willingness to bring the Kaduna Refinery, the third government-owned refinery in the country back to operations.
According to Kyari, “Kaduna is also on stream. We are not going to give you a date but we will surprise you.”
