The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the state has set a target of ensuring that all crude oil and gas products in the state are processed in refineries and gas processing facilities in the state before exportation to increase the state’s foreign receipts and diversify its economy.

The governor, who said this during the inspection of the test-run of Duport Energy Park in Egbokor, Orhionmwon Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, noted that the state is fast-becoming Nigeria’s hydrocarbon hub.

According to him, “Due to the benefits and advantages that we have in Edo State to have onshore oil and gas production, we are now attracting investors to utilize that production locally.

“Our goal is that every drop of crude oil and gas produced in Edo State is used here for national development rather than exporting it.”

The facility in Egbokor is the first energy park in Nigeria with a modular refinery, gas and power plant. It has a refining capacity of 10, 000 barrels per-day, a 50 megawatts power plant, a 60 million scf gas processing plant and over 100 RAM data bank centre.

The state also plays host to the 6000bpd Edo Modular Refinery operated by Edo Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.

The Edo Modular Refinery 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 Chinese consortium that handled 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).