A modular refinery, expected to process 5500 barrels of crude oil per day in Edo is about 70 per cent completed, the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki said yesterday.
Being constructed by the Edo Modular and Refinery Company Limited, and AIPCC Energy, Obaseki said the project would recalibrate the state’s industrial base, birthed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Obaseki, was quoted in a statement that the refinery located at Ologbo in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area (LGA), would produce from its feedstock 50 per cent of diesel (500,000 litres), 25 percent of naphtha (300,000 litres), and 20 percent of fuel oil (200,000) litres. The crude would be sourced from the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company’s (NPDC) facility – oil mining lease (OML) 111, near Benin City.
Obaseki added that the Chinese consortium handling the construction of the refinery is made up of Peiyang Chemical Equipment Company of China (PCC), Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corporation (SIPS), and African Infrastructure Partners (AIP).
To him, the modular refinery is among the growing list of ongoing legacy projects through MoU with local and international private investors, which include the already completed 55MW CCTEC Ossiomo Power Plant; the ongoing Benin Enterprise and Industrial Park; and the Benin River Port, for which preliminary works are ongoing.
“The local content component of the refinery project ensures that Edo citizens are trained in welding, refinery operation and fabrication work to enable them to participate in the construction of the refinery as well as its operation, post-commissioning. The refinery is at 70 percent completion and we are very sure that it will soon be ready for commissioning,” Obaseki was quoted.
The actualisation of the project he said was premised on smart thinking and financial savviness.The state had earlier approved the release of N700 million as redeemable preference shares (investment) in the refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited.
The venture is expected to create legitimate employment opportunities thereby reducing poverty, provide job opportunities for teeming youths in the communities, facilitate the establishment of a fabrication yard as proposed by the promoters, and create a basis for expertise, professionalism and further training in the oil and gas industry.
Source: TheGuardian