The Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company (WRPC), with a capacity of 125,000 barrels per day, has resumed operations in Warri, Delta State. This was confirmed by Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), during a tour of the facility on Monday.
Addressing the team before the tour, Kyari emphasized the significance of the progress made: “We are taking you through our plant. This plant is running. Although it is not 100 percent complete, we are still in the process. Many people think these things are not real. They think real things are not possible in this country. We want you to see that this is real.”
Accompanying Kyari on the tour was Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Located in Ekpan, Uwvie, and Ubeji, Warri, the refinery also produces 13,000 metric tons per annum (MTA) of polypropylene and 18,000 MTA of carbon black. Built in 1978 and managed by NNPCL, it serves markets in Nigeria’s southern and southwestern regions.
NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye had earlier stated that mechanical upgrades at the refinery were targeted for completion by the first quarter of 2024. “Warri should be done by Q1 2024,” he said.
The resumption at WRPC follows the recent commencement of crude refining at the old Port Harcourt Refinery in Rivers State. Other refineries under rehabilitation include the new Port Harcourt Refining Company and the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company.
