Nigeria’s refining capacity shortfall could worsen as the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), granted licenses to three new investors in Edo, Delta, and Abia states over the weekend.
Local refineries, particularly modular plants, have been grappling with acute feedstock shortages, with many operations crippled by the lack of access to crude oil, the primary raw material for production.
On the contrary, the intervention of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to enforce the Domestic Supply Crude Obligation (DSCO) has not yielded the desire result of most oil producers, including International Oil Companies (IOCs), have failed to complied with the policy.
The three proposed refineries are expected to have a combined refining capacity of 140,000 barrels per day.
According to an X post by the NMDPRA on its official page, the proposed refineries that have been issued licenses are: Eghudu Refinery Ltd in Edo; 100,000 bpd, MB Refinery and Petrochemicals Company Ltd in Delta State; 30,000 bpd refinery and HIS Refining and Petrochemical Company Ltd in Abia; 10,000 bpd.
