The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu has given a 90-day ultimatum to the Management of the Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company, WRPC, to commence full production at the facility which 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, PPMC, Jetty and Depot in Warri, Delta State, Dr. Kachikwu charged the Management and Staff of the Company to ensure that the plant is streamed back to full active service within the projected period.
The GMD said he was ready to provide the management of the facility the necessary support to enable them meet the fast-track target.
“So whatever you need to do to get the 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,” the GMD assured.
Dr. Kachikwu also enjoined the management of the plant to resuscitate the Petrochemicals plant which was commissioned in March 1988.
On the state of PPMC storage facility, Dr. Kachikwu promised to end the era where the company relied heavily on private depots to store a bulk of its petroleum products.
“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, infact 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,” he said.
Responding to the GMD’s ultimatum, the Acting Managing Director of WRPC, Engr. Solomon Ladenegan, pledged that measures have been put in place to ensure that the plant is back in full operation by early November in good time for the three-month fast-track mandate.
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.
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