This is good news, no doubt, considering that Nigerians have been clamouring for the establishment of more refineries in the country to tackle the lingering problems associated with importation of petroleum products, especially the issue of cost.
Finally, a private refinery owned by Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Ltd., a subsidiary of Niger Delta Exploration and Production Plc, has begun operation in Rivers State, South-South Nigeria. This came even as the federal government confirmed it has granted the firm a Licence To Operate (LTO).
I hear the refinery, located in Rivers State, was completed in December 2010 and has been undergoing test-run for sometime while the LTO was being awaited. The fabrication work was handled by Chemex Incorporated of Texas, United States.
According to official records, the LTO signed by the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, was the first of its kind to be granted to a publicly-owned Nigerian company. With the operating licence, the Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Ltd. now has full authority to operate its mini-diesel refinery, referred to as “Topping Plant” at the company’s Ogbele Oil Field in Rivers State.
Confirming the development, the CEO of the firm, Dr. Layi Adetona, said the refinery comes with an initial capacity of 1,000 barrels of crude per day, adding that it now produces 120,000 litres of diesel per day.
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