After Port Harcourt, NNPC Announces Date to Complete Warri Refinery, to Supply 12 States

After Port Harcourt, NNPC Announces Date to Complete Warri Refinery, to Supply 12 States

  • The NNPC has announced that the mechanical completion of the Warri Refinery is scheduled for the first quarter of 2024
  • This comes weeks after the Port Harcourt refinery underwent similar rehabilitation and began operations in December 2023
  • The refinery, which was founded in 1978, has the capacity to process 125,000 barrels of crude oil per day

Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has over three years of experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has said that the mechanical completion of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2024.

NNPC Announces Date to Complete Warri Refinery, to Supply 12 States
NNPCL stated that the Warri refinery will be resolved by the first quarter of this year. Photo Credit: Andrew Holt
Source: Getty Images

In a succinct reply to The Punch's question about when the plant would be mechanically finished, Olufemi Soneye, the chief corporate communications officer of NNPCL, stated that the goal was to resolve it by the first quarter of this year.

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He stated:

“Warri should be done by Q1 (first quarter) 2024.”

WRPC, one of Nigeria's three refineries operated by NNPCL, is situated in Warri, Delta State, and was established in 1978.

The other two are the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company in Kaduna State and the Port Harcourt Refining Company in Rivers State. Both facilities are undergoing continuing rehabilitation.

Warri Refinery is a complex conversion refinery that processes 125,000 barrels of crude oil daily. The facility houses a 1988-founded petrochemical plant that produces carbon black and polypropylene.

Port Harcourt Refinery begins production

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the long-awaited Port Harcourt refinery fulfilled the federal government's promise that operation would start in December 2023.

According to a video uploaded on X, the refinery's flare indicated the commencement of oil refining.

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This came months after the minister of state for petroleum (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, disclosed in August that the Port Harcourt refinery would commence operation before the end of the year.

The NNPCL said the test run for the Port Harcourt refinery will be completed soon, according to Legit.ng in a recent development.

This is a significant step to resuming operations five years after the refinery shut down.

The refinery will begin processing about 60,000 barrels of refined petroleum products daily and supply about 12 states. It is expected to reach a total capacity of 210,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2024.

Why PH Refinery will not attract buyers at $2bn

Legit.ng reported that the former group general manager of planning at the now-defunct Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Babajide Soyode, has explained why a private company would not buy the Port Harcourt Oil Refining Company from the government for $2 billion.

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In an interview with the Punch, he voiced his reservations regarding the $2 billion proposed for the sale of the recently renovated oil refinery.

Legit.ng earlier reported that NNPC Limited announced a plan to hand over the government-owned Port Harcourt Refinery for maintenance to a private company.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Zainab Iwayemi avatar

Zainab Iwayemi (Business Editor) Zainab Iwayemi is a business journalist with over 5 years experience reporting activities in the stock market, tech, insurance, banking, and oil and gas sectors. She holds a Bachelor of Science (B.sc) degree in Sociology from the University of Ilorin, Kwara State. Before Legit.ng, she worked as a financial analyst at Nairametrics where she was rewarded for outstanding performance. She can be reached via zainab.iwayemi@corp.legit.ng