Edo Refinery Laments Not Getting Needed Crude in Naira Despite Tinubu’s Directive

The management of AIPCC Energy Limited, operators of the Edo Refinery and Petrochemicals Company Limited (ERPCL), has raised concerns over the persistent lack of crude oil supply despite being a fully functional 1,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery.

In a statement on Sunday in Benin City, the company’s representative, Segun Okeni, highlighted that the refinery, located in Ologbo, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, has struggled to access the necessary crude oil, despite existing supply agreements and a directive from President Bola Tinubu that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) supply crude to refineries in Naira.

Okeni revealed that the refinery’s inability to secure crude oil has rendered it nearly non-operational, with production running at less than 10% of its installed capacity.

Despite several meetings and communications with NNPC over the past three years, the refinery has not received any crude allocations.

“ERPCL also has a Crude Oil Supply Agreement with ND Western to lift crude oil from the Ughelli Pumping Station (UPS) owned by NEPL and operated by Shoreline.

“We have held several meetings with Shoreline and Heritage Oil and indicated our readiness to make modifications needed to offtake crude oil from the UPS, but no progress has been made to date,” the company added.

This situation has persisted even after the Dangote Refinery saga and the directive of the President.

The management of Edo Refinery expressed frustration with the bureaucratic bottlenecks and the lack of progress in securing crude from oil fields managed by ND Western, Seplat, and others.

The company is now calling for urgent intervention from NNPC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, to implement existing agreements and facilitate the supply of crude oil, warning that the continued neglect of smaller refineries could discourage local and foreign investment in Nigeria’s oil sector.

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Oluwasegun Sanusi

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