Nigeria's four refineries will resume production next month, a spokesman for the Nigerian National Pretoleum
Corporation (NNPC), told the Agence France Presse (AFP)on Thursday.
"The refineries at Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna will resume next month after a successful turn-around-maintenance (overhaul) of their facilities," Ohi Alegbe spokesman of the NNPC told AFP. "The turn-around-maintenance has been on for some time. We did not just want to make any noise about it. The refineries will start production as soon as they have delivery of crude oil for refining," he said. The NNPC has four refineries -- two in Port Harcourt in the south, one in northern Kaduna and another in southern Warri, with a combined installed capacity of 445,000 barrels per day. A network of pipelines and depots located throughout the country link these refineries. Nigeria produces a massive two million barrels of crude oil a day, but has to export it due to a lack of working refineries. It then imports fuel back into the country at international market prices -- a situation blamed on corruption and mismanagement. To cushion the blow on the general population, the government sells fuel on the streets at subsidised prices, and makes up for the higher amounts spent by importers by reimbursing them the difference -- a system seen as rife with false claims and overpayments. Alegbe said the resumption of refinery activity "will significantly improve the supply of petroleum products in the country."
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