Dr. Ibe Kachikwu |
The Group Managing Director of the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has issued 90-day
ultimatum to the
management of Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company to
commence full production at the facility.
The refinery has the capacity to
process 125,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
Speaking at the end of a facility
tour of the refinery and the adjoining Pipelines and Products Marketing Company
jetty and depot in Warri, Delta State, Kachikwu charged the management and
staff of the Company to ensure that the plant was streamed back to full and
active service within the projected period.
The GMD noted that he was ready to
provide the necessary support needed by the management of the facility in order
to enable them meet the target.
Kachikwu, in a statement from the
corporation on Thursday, reportedly said “Whatever you need to do to get your
refinery back on track, please do it now because this is the time. It’s a
90-day fast-track programme and whatever you need me to do to make that happen,
let me know.”
On Monday, The PUNCH
exclusively reported that barely a month after it resumed production, the Warri
refinery was shut down again, a situation that may constitute a setback to the
new administration’s current efforts at shoring up local supply of petroleum
products.
The NNPC’s spokesperson had told our
correspondent on Sunday that it took the action because the pipelines supplying
crude oil to the Warri refinery had been compromised by vandals.
It, however, said the closure would
be temporary as it hoped to reopen the refinery on Tuesday.
Kachikwu, however, enjoined the
management of the refinery to resuscitate the petrochemicals plant which was
commissioned in March 1988.
On the state of PPMC storage
facility, the GMD promised to end the era where the company relied heavily on
private depots to store bulk of its petroleum products.
He said, “Some of the biggest
storage facilities in this industry belong to PPMC. I recall when I was growing
up in this industry, we all got our products from PPMC. In fact, the fear of
PPMC then was the beginning of wisdom, but now PPMC is putting products more on
the tanks of marketers and letting them run the show, but that is not going to
continue under my watch.”
Responding to the GMD’s ultimatum,
the acting Managing Director, WRPC, Engr. Solomon Ladenegan, said measures had
been put in place to ensure that the plant was back in full operation by early
November in good time for the three months fast track moratorium.
“The 37-year old refinery which has
been undergoing phased rehabilitation exercise was shut last week due to some
technical hitches in one of its units,” the NNPC said in its statement.
Source: Punch Newspaper
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