New Refinery Underway In Anambra

Orient Petroleum Resources Plc is to commence the production of crude oil any moment from now in Anambra State bringing the state into the league of oil producing states in the country.

The company is set to start production of crude in a couple of weeks marking the first time crude oil is produced in the Inland basin in the country.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company and former Secretary general of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku announced this while inspecting the company’s facilites at Aguleri Out with Governor Peter Obi, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, managing Director of Orient Petroleum, Engr. Emeka Nwoawka, Igwe Peter Anukwu of Mbaukwu and other stakeholders on Friday.

He noted that the company’s service contractor had made significant progress in the acquisition of high resolution 3D seismic data over 640 square kilometers of Orient’s oil block OPL 915 and 916 to delineate the full extent of the hydrocarbon discoveries and prospects.

The team also inspected the 20 kilometre access road to the oil wells and the 10-kilometre flow line for evacuating crude to a spot at Anambra River Basin from where evacuation of crude will be undertaken by barges to Brass in Bayelsa State.

Meanwhile, Petroleum marketers in the country have criticized the way the Petroleum pricing and regulatory Agency (PPRA) allocates petroleum products imported by oil companies.

At the resumed hearing of the joint committee headed by Senator Magnus Abe, some of the marketers called for improvement in the allocation of petroleum products to be imported, noting that some of them were importing below the capacity they would have otherwise desired.

According to the managing Director of Conoil Nigeria Plc, Abiodun Wahab, who raised some concerns over insecurity on the nation’s high seas, his company had applied for as much as 160,000 metric tones but had not been able to get the quanity.

On the way out, Wahab whose postion was corroborated by some other stateholders in the industry advocated for re-clasification of the oil companies.

In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the joint committee, Magnus Abe expressed dissatisfaction at the attitude of some fuel importers who failed to attend the public hearing and threatened that the chamber would not treat them lightly, pointing out that the committee wanted to give them an opportunity to state their side of the story.