The Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company (WRPC) has resumed, manufacturing petroleum products such as kerosene and diesel.
Currently, the refinery is operating at 60% of its installed capacity, processing 75,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Due to this output, about 2.9 million litres of diesel, 1.9 million litres of kerosene, and 4.9 million litres of fuel oil are produced per day.
The resumption comes after $898 million in rehabilitation work started in 2021. Restarting the refinery is a component of Nigeria’s larger plan to become a net exporter and lessen reliance on imported petroleum products.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPCL) Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, stressed that this move aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s order to revive the country’s refineries.
The refinery’s present priorities include manufacturing and storing essential products such as heavy and light naphtha, automotive petrol oil (AGO) and straight-run kerosene (SRK). As more refinery units come online, production of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also referred to as petrol, is anticipated to start.
The Warri Refinery was Nigeria’s first fully owned refinery, having been put into service in 1978. It was first built to process 100,000 barrels of crude oil daily, but in 1987 it was updated to process 125,000 barrels.
It is anticipated that the Warri Refinery’s reopening will have a favourable effect on Nigeria’s petroleum product supply and prices, promoting both economic stability and energy security. Stakeholders in the industry believe that higher domestic production will result in more competitive market circumstances, which could cut consumer fuel prices.
