Jubilation as another Nigerian refinery resumes operations

The Warri Refining & Petrochemical Company (WRPC) in Warri, Delta State, is officially back in operation, with a refining capacity of 125,000 barrels per day (BPD).

This significant milestone was announced by Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), during a tour of the facility on Monday.

Kyari addressed the team prior to the tour, emphasizing the importance of the plant’s restart. “We are taking you through our plant. This plant is running. Although it is not 100% complete, we are still in the process. Many people think these things are not real, that real things are not possible in this country. We want you to see that this is real,” he said, underlining the NNPCL’s commitment to revitalizing Nigeria’s refining capacity.

Among those present for the tour was Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), highlighting the collaborative effort behind the project.

Located in Ekpan, Uwvie, and Ubeji in Warri, the WRPC also houses a petrochemical plant that produces 13,000 metric tons per annum (MTA) of polypropylene and 18,000 MTA of carbon black. The facility, which has been operational since 1978, plays a crucial role in supplying petroleum products to Nigeria’s southern and southwestern regions.

The mechanical completion of the WRPC was initially expected by the first quarter of 2024, according to NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye. The resumption of operations at Warri comes on the heels of the recent commencement of crude refining at the Port Harcourt Refinery, further boosting Nigeria’s refining capacity.

Kyari’s remarks and the operational success at Warri signal a crucial step toward improving Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity and reducing dependence on imported petroleum products.