The 125,000 barrels per day Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company, WRPC has commenced operations.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, disclosed this during a tour at the facility on Monday.
Kyari stated, “This plant is running. Although it is not 100 per cent 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.
“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 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.”
NPO reports that this is coming after the commencement of crude refining at the old Port Harcourt.
The Warri refinery produces 13,000 million tons per annum (MTA) of polypropylene and 18,000 MTA of carbon black.
The petrochemical plant commissioned in 1978 and managed by the NNPCL, was built to supply markets in the South and South-West regions of Nigeria.