nd gas in Nigeria
The Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Engr. Austen Oniwon, has called on the American government to take the advantage of the current reforms in the oil and gas industry by building Greenfield refineries across the country.
He assured that the corporation will continue to produce value added petroleum products that conform to the American government's environmental and safety requirements.
According to a statement from NNPC, Oniwon disclosed this at a meeting with a delegation from the American Embassy in Abuja .
Oniwon, who harped on the need to continue to strengthen the economic partnership and bilateral relationship between the two countries, explained that the corporation would do everything necessary to meet all the requirements to satisfy the business needs of America.
He said: "As a Corporation, we believe we have built a very strong relationship with America over the years and beyond the energy relationship that we have. We are determined to meet all the requirements to participate in the business needs of America."
Giving an update on the recent investment in the oil industry, he said apart from the memorandum of understanding for the building of three refineries signed recently by the NNPC and a company from China, there was still room for more Greenfield refineries, stressing that the corporation is open and willing to discuss business with the American government in investment.
The NNPC boss noted that the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company have resumed full operations, and that they are running at 60 per cent throughput.
He, however, added that the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited which is the biggest in the country was yet to resume due to power challenge.
The NNPC helmsman called on the United States to collaborate with the corporation in surveillance of its pipelines, noting that the three refineries were patterned in such a way that products are ferried through pipelines.
According to him, the capacity of the two functional refineries would increase if the pipelines are properly secured.
On the Gas Master Plan, Oniwon said the primary target is to grow domestic supply by operators in the upstream sector, adding that the Brass Liquefied Natural Gas and Olokola Natural Gas projects are on-going and that they are basically for export.