The Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation has debunked reports that the Federal Government
is losing over N700bn annually in projected revenue through the Kaduna
Refining and Petrochemicals Company, as well as N12bn on remuneration of
idle workers because the plant is not currently functioning.
During an oversight visit
to the refinery last week by the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources
(Downstream), the lawmakers were told that the 32-year old plant was a
drain pipe.
However, the Group General
Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Dr. Levi Ajuonuma, in a
statement issued on Sunday, said KPRC was a functional and viable
strategic business unit of the corporation, which was contributing
immensely towards operations in the country’s oil and gas industry.
He said the refinery
underwent a quasi turnaround maintenance two years ago by Nigerian
engineers and that credit should be given to the engineers for running
the refinery at 60 per cent of installed production capacity amid the
challenge of incessant pipeline vandalism.
The NNPC spokesman affirmed
that if not for pipeline vandals, the plant could run at 60 per cent to
70 per cent capacity utilisation on a sustained basis, adding that due
to incessant pipeline vandalism, the desired production level had
remained unsustainable.
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