By Joy Yesufu
The Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company (WRPC) has officially begun operations at 60 percent in Delta State.
Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), announced this development during his tour of the refinery on Monday, December 30, 2024.
In his remarks before the tour, Kyari noted that although the plant is not yet fully complete, it is operational.
The tour included Mr Farouk Ahmed, CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and other key figures in the oil sector.
Kyari who addressed his team before the tour said: “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 that 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.”
This follows the recent commencement of crude refining operations at the Port Harcourt refinery in Rivers State, marking significant progress in Nigeria’s refining capacity.
The Warri refinery built to take care of the industrial needs of the South South and South West was commissioned in 1978 and managed by NNPCL.
