NNPC’s GMD Reaffirms Commitment To Refine Nigeria’s Crude Oil Locally To Meet Immediate Domestic Needs

With the nation’s refineries, especially the Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC) roaring back to life, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, yesterday in Benin, the Edo State capital, said the country’s  crude oil would  be processed to meet immediate domestic needs.

The NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who spoke at this year’s NNPC Health Safety and Environment, HSE, day, with the theme, HSE Best Practice, Pathway to Business Sustainability, also said the corporation would  modernize its health, safety and environment management standard and performance records, to promote health, safety and environmental awareness.

Represented by the Managing Director, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, Abubakar Mai-Borno, Mr. Kachikwu said safety at workplace was vital for productivity in the sector.

“It is with great optimism that we are foreseeing our refineries soon coming back on-stream. PHRC, for instance, has demonstrated great drive in meeting the federal government’s desire for our refineries; whence our crude will be processed in order to meet our immediate domestic demands”, he said.

The NNPC helmsman insisted that lessons must be learnt from recent incidents on the BP Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and Chevron’s Brazil Offshore oil spill, which occurred due to breach of safety rules and observance, noting that these incidents were accompanied with monumental financial and human losses.

“We must, therefore, tow a conscious path in structuring safety rules, guides, observance and best practices in NNPC. When these are emplaced, then, our assets, both human and material will be secured and guaranteed”, he said.

According to Kachikwu, the outcome of these initiatives “would include higher productivity, reduce risks accidents and damages to the environment, while promoting sustainable development for future generation. This visible commitment is an important driver that ensures that every staff, including other stakeholders, own their HSE responsibility”.