» Production: Kachikwu Gives Warri Refinery 90-Day Ultimatum «

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.