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The Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has expressed his optimism that fuel importation will reduce, with the commencement of production at the Port Harcourt refinery.
He added that the Port Harcourt refinery was producing five million litres of petrol every day and that the refinery in Warri, Delta State, would begin production soon.
The NNPC boss made this known to reporters on Wednesday during a visit to the Port Harcourt refinery in Alesa Eleme, in Rivers State.
According to him, the production rate signifies that fuel importation will reduce significantly from now on.
He also said that before the end of the week, the Warri refinery will also resume production.
The GMD explained that the target of the NNPC was to ensure that all states’ refineries would begin to refine petroleum products, with operation at full capacity.
“All the refineries put together could supply 20 million litres of petrol on daily basis,” he said.
He also hinted that “when all the pipelines across Nigeria are fixed, the Nigerian Air Force will be engaged to provide aerial survey of the pipelines.
The GMD then told journalists that a major plan was on the way to unbundle the pipelines and products marketing into three different companies that would focus primarily on maintenance of the pipelines and all the 23 depots across the country.