The Warri Refinery, which has a capacity of 125,000 barrels per day, is currently functioning at 60 percent capacity. This information was shared by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited during a facility tour on Monday.
This means the refinery is processing approximately 75,000 barrels of crude oil each day. Before the tour commenced, Kyari addressed the team, stating, “We are showing you our plant, which is operational. While it isn’t fully completed, we are still making progress. Many people doubt such developments are possible in this country, but we want you to witness the reality of our efforts.”
He commended the team for their commitment and belief in the potential to restart the plant, noting the collaboration with contractors has yielded positive results. “We have demonstrated that it is feasible to reopen a plant that was purposefully shut down,” he added.
The refinery has three phases, and they are currently working on the first phase, known as Area 1, which produces high-quality diesel, kerosene, naphtha, and other products. This not only fulfills domestic needs but also paves the way for exports, supporting the President’s promise to turn the country into a petroleum product exporter.
He acknowledged that this progress aligns with the President’s directive to make all three refineries operational. The 65,000 barrels per day Port Harcourt refinery has already restarted, and Area 1 of the Warri refinery is also active, with further developments expected for other plants producing petrol.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, was part of the tour group. The Petrochemical plant, located in Ekpan, Uwvie, and Ubeji near Warri, has an annual production capacity of 13,000 metric tons of polypropylene and 18,000 metric tons of carbon black.
Originally commissioned in 1978 and now operated by NNPCL, the Warri Refinery was designed to serve markets in southern and southwestern Nigeria. The facility was initially set to reach mechanical completion in the first quarter of this year, as noted by NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye, who stated that it is expected to be finalized by Q1 2024.
The other refineries include the old and new Port Harcourt Refining Company in Rivers State, as well as the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company in Kaduna. This advancement follows the recent resumption of crude refining at the 65,000 barrels per day old Port Harcourt Refinery.
