NNPC seeks private operators for Warri, Kaduna refineries

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) says it is seeking private companies to operate and maintain two of its refineries.

The NNPC Ltd in an invitation for Expressions of Interest posted on its X handle on Thursday said it is seeking to engage reputable and credible operations & maintenance companies to operate and maintain the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC).

The state-oil firm said this is to ensure reliability and sustainability to meet the nation’s fuel supply and energy security obligations.

It explained that the operations and maintenance tender for WRPC and KRPC will be treated as a single tender through a three stage tender process (EOI, Technical and Commercial) leveraging on all the possible opportunity cost associated with procurement of consumables, personnel/manpower management, utilisation of Computerised Maintenance Management Software (CMMS), Warehousing Management System (WMS) etc.

NNPC Ltd in its circular stipulates certain statutory requirements for companies seeking to bid.

The 125,000 barrels per day (bpd)-capacity Warri Refinery and 110,000 barrels per day capacity Kaduna Refining are among Nigeria’s four dysfunctional refineries that have produced no fuel for years leaving the country to rely on imported petroleum products.

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In August 2021, the Federal Executive Council approved the award of the contract for the rehabilitation of Warri and Kaduna Refineries at the combined total sum of $1.5 billion.

The Nigerian government had in August 2023 assured that the Warri refinery will come on stream by the end of the first quarter of 2024, and Kaduna will also come on board towards the end of 2024.