By Chineme Okafor and Nnenna Akuma in AbujaThe Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has disclosed that it will shortly close down three of its refineries in Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt for a comprehensive rehabilitation aimed at bringing them back to their nameplate production capacities.

NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, told reporters on Wednesday in Abuja that the shutdown of the refineries would allow the corporation to undertake their rehabilitation in ways that are different from what had been done in the past.

He noted that the refineries would come back on stream as new facilities when it concludes the rehabilitation project ahead of the country’s plan to exit petroleum products importation in 2019.

Speaking on the sidelines of the inaugural Nigerian Pipeline Security Conference and Exhibition organised by the Pipeline Association of Nigeria (PLAN), Baru said: “As you know, it is being the perception of the public that the repairs of the refineries are never done thoroughly. So this time, our intention is to shut down the refineries when we are ready, and then fully bring them back to what they should be as new refineries.”

He further explained: “Obviously, it is going to be a complex procedure and as such, we have to break down the various work packages to ensure that all the various workforces have sufficient focus, and if you notice the time that we inaugurated (eight committees on the refineries rehabilitation), the work streams are composed of the general managers and executive directors level, and they will be having a day-to-day look at it, while the steering committee is at my level and that of the chief operating officers all looking at the problems the workstations have and they will proffer solutions immediately.”

Details later…

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