The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote, has said that the two refineries in Edo State, the Edo Refinery and Duport Midstream Refinery, which are currently refining petrochemical products, are well positioned to contribute to Nigeria’s 1.5 million barrels per day refining capacity by 2025.

Wabote disclosed this while delivering a keynote address at the third Biennial International Conference on Hydrocarbon Science and Technology, organised by the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) in Abuja, with the theme, "The Future of the Oil and Gas Industry: Opportunities, Challenges, and Development.”

The two refineries in Edo State have placed a combined order of 300,000 barrels of crude from the Oza oil field and currently produce diesel, naphtha and Lour Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO).

While the Edo Refinery and Petrochemical Company (ERPC) runs the 6000bpd plant in Ologbo, Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area, Duport Midstream Company Limited (DMCL) operates the Duport Refinery, which is part of an integrated energy park, located in Egbokor, Orhionmwon Local Government Area of the State.

The Edo Refinery was midwifed through a N700m investment by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government in 2019, and is already being expanded into a 12,000bpd facility.

Wabote’s NCDMB has stakes in the Duport Refinery and is committed to the expansion of the facility.

According to Wabote, “If all plans go well, Nigeria would meet the target of 1.5 million bpd by 2025 through the various refining investments such as the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote refinery and the Bua Group refinery project.

He also listed the Waltersmith modular refinery, Duport Midstream refinery, OPAC Refinery, Edo Refinery, Aradel Holdings refinery as well as the existing 445,000 barrels per day capacity from the Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt refineries as some of the projects that would help Nigeria hit the 1.5 million bpd refining target.

“The realisation of these projects would culminate in Nigeria achieving a combined refining capacity of approximately 1.5 million barrels per day by 2025,” he added.