NNPC Announces Commencement of Production at Warri Refinery.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has announced the restart of the 125,000 barrels per day (bpd) Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), which was first approved for rehabilitation at the sum of $897 million in 2021.
In 2021, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the sum of $1.48 billion for the rehabilitation of the Warri and Kaduna refineries, with the breakdown showing that $897 million was earmarked for the Warri refinery while $586 million was set aside for the rehabilitation of the Kaduna refinery.
Nigeria has four national refineries, one each in Kaduna and Warri, and two in Port Harcourt. The 60,000bpd phase one of the Port Harcourt refinery began the refining of key fuels a few weeks ago.
Reacting to the latest development, President Bola Tinubu expressed his joy at the re-opening of the refinery, describing it as another remarkable achievement in 2024, which has strengthened Nigerians’ hope in his administration.
An excited Tinubu, in a release issued by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, following the restart of the Warri refinery, expressed his administration’s determination to ramp up local refining capacity and make Nigeria a hub for downstream industrial activities in Africa.
Tinubu stated that with the 125,000bpd Warri refinery now operating at 60 percent capacity, his administration’s comprehensive plan to ensure energy efficiency and security was on course.
He praised the Mele Kyari-led management of NNPC for working hard to restore Nigeria’s glory and pride as a major oil-producing country.
The president enjoined the national oil company to accelerate repair works on Kaduna refinery and the 150,000bpd second phase of the refinery in Port Harcourt to consolidate Nigeria’s position as a global energy provider.
According to him, the WRPC will, for now, focus on producing and storing critical products, including straight-run kerosene (SRK), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and heavy and light Naphtha.
