The Edo Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited, located in Ologbo, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, has received its operational license from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). This license allows the refinery to commence full-scale production, marking the final stage of regulatory approval.
This milestone comes just a week after the company raised concerns about the lack of crude oil supply necessary to start operations. The license was handed over by the CEO of NMDPRA, Ahmed Farouk, to Segun Okeni, Head of Technical Operations at the refinery, during a ceremony attended by key officials. Farouk praised the refinery for achieving this significant step and encouraged the company to continue its progress.
The NMDPRA’s Executive Director, Hydrocarbon Processing Plant Installation and Transport Infrastructure (HPPITI), Mr. Francis Ogaree, reaffirmed the agency’s role as a business enabler, promising continued support for the refinery’s future projects.
Segun Okeni, representing AIPCC Energy, the parent company of the Edo Refinery, expressed the company’s commitment to contributing to Nigeria’s petroleum refining and gas processing sectors. He revealed that the refinery is in the final stages of securing a crude oil supply agreement with an indigenous oil company, which is crucial for optimizing production.
Okeni explained that obtaining the operational license follows a rigorous process, starting from the License to Establish (LTE), License to Construct (LTC), and Approval to Introduce Hydrocarbon, to pre-commissioning, commissioning, and now, the License to Operate (LTO). He emphasized the importance of local refineries in the bidding rounds for marginal fields, urging the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to prioritize existing facilities.
This development signals a positive step forward for the Edo Refinery, which is poised to enhance Nigeria’s refining capacity and contribute to the country’s energy sector.
