The hope of Nigerian longs fuel queues in Nigeria to disappear was rekindled as President Obasanjo Launches one of the modular refineries licences awarded by President Mohamadu Buhari.
Azikel Refinery is the first of all the initial 22 licences award by President Mohammadu Buhari in the initial phase of his Government to have commenced construction to a very remarkable completion of near 65% completion as shown by the works achieved on the project site.
Azikel Refinery is a 12,000 Barrel Per Streaming Day Hydroskimming Refinery, which will be producing petrol, kereozine, diesel, aviation fuel and home cooking gas. While launching the refinery President Obasanjo praised Buhari for selecting competence persons and companies irrespective of were they are from and granting the refinery licenses.
Obasanjo further states that President Buhari will be the luckiest President to bring into existence Modular refinery success in his administration, as he admits that in his tenure as President, he awarded 18 refineries licences but none was able to take off.
President Obasanjo further states that he understands that of all the initial license by President Buhari which were 22, only the Azikel Petroleum Ltd had moved to site to achieve a near completion. President Obasanjo said he has confident in the President of Azikel Group, Dr Eruani Azibapu Godbless and urge him to ensure that the refinery is completed on schedule so as alleviate the suffering of Nigeria.
Dr Erunai Azibapu Godbless, the President of Azikel Group of which Azikel Petroleum is a subsidiary, while speaking express immense gratitude to President Buhari for granting his company the Petroleum Refining Licence as well as 500MW on grid Power Generation Licence. Dr Eruani said his teams is committed to the pivot of the re industrialisation of the Niger Delta and Nigeria so as to creating wealth and employment.
Dr Eruani said the Azikel Refinery project is in its advance stages as the Outside Battery Limits(OSBL), which includes the sandfilling/ reclamation with 2.7 million cubic meter of sand completed of which about $16m USD was spent, the concrete perimeter fencing of the 19.9 Hectares of land, the loading gantry, the administrative building, the terminal operators building, the crude and refined product storage tanks, the 3.1km internal roads, fires stations and other ancillary works had achieved a 45% completions.
This is evident by the works on site. Dr Eruani said works on the refinery project has been ongoing for about 2 years now. Dr Eruani also stated that the other works which constitute the core refinery engine, otherwise referred to as Inside Battery Limits(ISBL), these are the Engineering, Procurement and Fabrication of the Crude Distillation Units.
The Catalytic Reformer, Naphta Hydrothreater, Isomerization Units and other Utilities in the refinery areas has reached a 65% completion. These component are been manufactured offshore in Houston, United States and upon full completion will be shipped to Nigeria in modules for installation.
The GMD of NNPC, Dr Baru Maikanti, was full of congratulations to Dr Eruani and the Azikel Petroleum team, for making Nigerians and President Mohammadu Buhari proud, The GMD of NNPC maintaninced that President Buhari will continuously support the Azikel Refinery project as he urges other refinery licences to commence works as the aggregation of all the private refineries production will soar up there internal refinery production in the country.
The GMD of NNPC further stated that the level of completion of works already achieved at the site is very remarkable and indeed, Azikel Petroleum Refinery will be the First Private Hydroskimming Refinery in Nigeria, the GMD of NNPC was represented by a team lead by the Managing Director of Port Harcourt Refinery Shehu Malami.
The Governor of Bayelsa State Henry Seriake Dickson also congratulated the President of Azikel Group, Dr Eruani Azibapu Godbless and his team for making Bayelsans and Nigeria proud by putting into action the Refinery licence by achieving the level of works on site.
The Governor also signed and issued the Certificate of Occupancy for the Azikel Refinery Project and that of the Azikel Power. The Governor said the state will support all private business in the state. The Governor also thanked President Buhari for granting a son of Bayelsa the refinery licence. Other dignitaries at the event are Royal Fathers, Bank Executives, Former Ministers, Former
Governors, Senators and federal Government Officers of different parastatals, Captains of Industries and International Partners of the Azikel Refinery.
