The Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company (WRPC) has commenced operations.
Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, disclosed this during a tour of the facility on Monday.
Addressing the team during the tour of the facility, Kyari said, “This plant is running. Although it is not 100 percent complete, we are still in the process.
“Many people think these matters are not real. They believe real things are not possible in this country. We want you to see that this is real.”
Located in Ekpan, Uwvie, and Ubeji, Warri, the 125,000 barrels per day petrochemical plant produces 13,000 metric tonnes per annum (MTA) of polypropylene and 18,000 MTA of carbon black.
Commissioned in 1978 and managed by NNPCL, the WRPC was built to supply markets in the southern and southwestern regions of Nigeria.
A video posted by Channels TV on Monday showed Kyari addressing a tour team, which included the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed.
Before the tour commenced, Kyari explained that the inspection aimed to show Nigerians the level of work completed so far.
According to him, although the repairs on the facility are not yet 100 per cent complete, operations have commenced.
He said, “We are taking you through our plant. 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.”
The mechanical completion of the facility was initially scheduled for the first quarter of 2024, according to the NNPCL spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye.
“Warri should be done by Q1 (first quarter) 2024,” Soneye stated.
The WRPC is one of Nigeria’s four refineries, alongside the old and new Port Harcourt Refining Company in Rivers State and the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company in Kaduna State.
