- NNPCL refutes explosion claims, says refinery is undergoing maintenance.
- Operations halted temporarily for repairs, expected to resume soon.
- Diesel loading continues at an average of eight trucks daily.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has dismissed reports of an explosion at the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), clarifying that the facility is currently undergoing planned routine maintenance.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that barely a month after announcing the commencement of operations at the 125,000-barrels-per-day Warri refinery, NNPCL confirmed that activities had been temporarily halted for critical repairs aimed at optimizing performance.
In a statement on Friday, the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, explained that the maintenance work, which began on January 25, 2025, was necessary to ensure the production of high-quality petroleum products such as Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) and Kerosene.
“NNPC Ltd wishes to clarify that there was no explosion at the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company. Any reports suggesting otherwise are completely false,” the statement read.
According to NNPCL, operations at WRPC’s Area 1 were deliberately scaled down to facilitate essential interventions on select equipment and field instruments affecting stable production.
“These intervention works are crucial to sustaining the production of specification-compliant finished and intermediate products, particularly Automotive Gas Oil and Kerosene,” Soneye added. “The maintenance is progressing as planned, and Area 1 will resume operations within the next few days.”
Despite the ongoing maintenance, the company assured that the loading of diesel has remained steady, with an average of eight trucks dispatched daily.
“NNPC Ltd remains committed to ensuring an uninterrupted supply of petroleum products and appreciates the patience and cooperation of all stakeholders as we complete these essential maintenance activities,” the statement concluded.
The Warri Refinery resumed partial operations in late 2024, following the restart of the 60,000-barrels-per-day Port Harcourt Refinery in November. The Federal Executive Council had approved $1.5 billion in August 2021 for the rehabilitation of the Warri and Kaduna refineries, with a focus on restoring production capacity for key petroleum products, including Straight Run Kerosene, Automotive Gas Oil, and Naphtha.
Meanwhile, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) recently confirmed that its members have started loading petroleum products from both the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.
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