Reps To Investigate Alleged Sabotage of Warri Refinery

Hamilton Nwosa
Writer
Reps To Investigate Alleged Sabotage of Warri Refinery

Ad

Oil falls 2% as investors weigh Russia sanctions, OPEC+ output plans

Oil prices slipped about 2% on Tuesday, marking a third straight day of declines as investors considered the impact of U.S. sanctions against Russia's two biggest oil companies on global supply, along with a potential OPEC+ plan to raise output. Brent crude futures settled down $1.22, or 1.9%, to $64.40 a barrel. U.S. West Texas…

(PHOTOS) Reaction as Wike Attends 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit with His Sons

By Abiola Olawale Nigerians have begun to react after pictures emerged on social media showing the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, attending the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum (2025APCS), with his two sons. While Wike's official attendance is said to be a key development for the FCT, the…

How Anambra, Lagos Kwara Topped BudgIT’s 2025 Fiscal Performance Ranking

​Anambra State has been crowned the best-performing state in Nigeria's 2025 Fiscal Performance Ranking, according to the latest edition of the BudgIT 'State of States' Report. BudgIT revealed that Kwara state ascended from its previous second-place position. ​The New Diplomat reports that the annual BudgIT report assesses sub-national governments across key metrics like financial sustainability,…

Ad

The House of Representatives, Reps, has resolved to investigate alleged sabotage responsible for frequent shutdown of Warri Refinery, towards addressing the problem.

The resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion by Rep. Ben Igbakpa (PDP-Delta) at plenary on Wednesday.

Speaking, Igbakpa said that the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company was mandated to produce refined product from mainly local crude.

He explained that the three main sections of the production department which were reforming, crude distillation and catalytic cracking units have operated for the past years due to the efforts of its personnel.

According to him, the plants were operating at an output of around 115m3/hour which translates to about 68 per cent installed capacity.

The rep said that products from the refinery included, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or Petrol, Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), Kerosene (DPK), LPG or cooking gas, Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO) for Ships and Industrial Fuel Carbon Black.

“Therefinery has not operate optimally due to allegedly top management decisions of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to ground the plant for personal benefit from marketers importing products that can be produced in the refinery.

“Theplant had severally shutdown due to haulage challenges, neglect in the evacuation of products, lack of functional or operational storage tanks and poor maintenance culture on the part of management which also constitutes another reason for the refinery non – functionality.

“Aware of the alleged plan to ground the plant from refining products by members of the top echelon of the Warri Refinery in collaboration with the Chief Operating Officer (COO) as well as diverting crude meant for refining.

“Also awarethat when crude oil is delivered from Escravous tank farm for refining, the products are hoarded for about 14 days and thereafter diverted through the refinery jetty to interested buyers (or specific companies they have special interests in) who pay less.

“The resultant effects of this perceived economic sabotage is that the plant is brought down because no crude to refine as it has been diverted,” he said.

The house mandated its Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) to investigate the failure of the NNPC to address the haulage challenges.

The committee was also to look into the inadequate storage tanks affecting the Warri refinery and petrochemical company.

In his ruling, Deputy Speaker Ahmed Wase mandated the committee to investigate and report back in four weeks. (NAN)

Ad

X whatsapp