• Facility Will Create Employment, Enhance Industrialisation, Says Eruani

Governor Douye Diri has praised the President and owner of Azikel Petroleum Refinery, Dr. Azibapu Eruani, for citing the facility in Bayelsa State.

The governor, who spoke when he received he paid a courtesy visit to Eruani at the refinery complex in Yenagoa, commended him for his business acumen, noting that the abundance of crude in the state would eliminate losses and other impediments to the smooth operations of the refinery.

He also stated that the refinery had changed the status of the state in its industrialisation drive.

Diri said the refinery would improve the internally generated revenue of the state and create job opportunities for the youth.

He expressed delight that the project was nearing completion, saying he would be part of the history of inaugurating the first modular refinery in the state.
According to him, it was an aberration for the state to have abundant crude oil and gas without industries or 24-hour electricity.

He said: “Dr. Eruani has established a modular refinery here in Bayelsa State and not in any other state. Let me on behalf of the government and people of Bayelsa State congratulate you and thank you for this bold step to make our dreams come to pass.

“This is what our state’s founding fathers and all of us have been talking  about. We cannot have crude oil and gas on our soil and not have electricity or industry in the state.

“You have broken the jinx and I am sure the younger generation will follow your footsteps.

“Development is not done by the government alone. It is done in partnership with the private sector. That is why we are very glad that you are partnering with the state government in developing Bayelsa State. Like you rightly said, this will bring job opportunities here and taxes will be paid to the state government.”

Earlier in his remarks, Eruani said that the objective of the Azikel Petroleum Refinery is to add value to the Nigerian crude, create employment, enhance industrialisation and ensure the availability of refined petroleum products in the country.

Eruani said that the refinery being at 87 per cent completion stage signals the industrialisation of Bayelsa and Nigeria as whole, noting that Bayelsa would soon be counted among states that host a refinery.

He emphasised the uniqueness of the refinery in the African landscape as the only refinery that utilises both crude oil and condensate  as feedstock to refine premium petroleum products.

“The Azikel Refinery stands out as the first and only condensate hydro-skimming refinery in the entire African sub-region,” he noted.

He explained that the refinery is creating a market for the condensate that is being wasted, thereby adding value to it.

He further explained that the Federal Government has started promoting the Azikel Refinery model, having stepped up the campaign that other refineries should begin the utilisation of condensate in refining premium petroleum products.

He pointed out that Azikel Refinery is a hydroskimming refinery with a slate to produce PMS, AGO, DKP, aviation fuel and heavy fuel oil, adding that owing to the product slates, only two refinery are considered as full refineries that can produce PMS in addition to other products, which are the Azikel Refinery and the  Dangote Refinery in Nigeria.

“The Azikel Refinery is different from topping plants, which are modular refineries that produce only diesel. Production from the Azikel Refinery is about five million litres of premium products daily, which would redress scarcity and ensure product sufficiency to the citizenry,” he added.

He disclosed that the refinery has closed the unemployment gap with the employment of over 400 indigenous and expatriate workers, out of which 250 are Bayelsans.

According to him, to ensure that indigenes of the state employed in the refinery are proficient, management took time to train and improve their skills in tandem with best practice and modern refinery operations.

Eruani said that upon completion, the  $850 million investment would  be a major internal  revenue stream to the Bayelsa State government and Nigeria.

“As at today, the Azikel Refinery completion status of the  OSBL (Outside Battery Limits) is 100 per cent while the ISBL (Inside Battery Limits) is 74 per cent completed; and the overall completion is 87 per cent completed,” he said.