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List Of All Refineries In Nigeria
A refinery is a facility where chemical engineering processes and operations are used to refine materials or convert raw substances into valuable products. It removes impurities and transforms natural materials into purified substances. For example, in an oil refinery, crude oil undergoes treatment to produce gasoline and other petroleum products.
Refineries come in various types, including petroleum oil refineries that convert crude oil into gasoline, diesel, LPG, kerosene, and more. Edible oil refineries turn cooking oil into uniform products with consistent taste, smell, and stability. Natural gas processing plants purify raw natural gas for residential, commercial, and industrial use, recovering natural gas liquids like ethane and propane.
In this article, RNN lists the country’s refineries comprehensively. Nigeria plays a significant role in the global energy sector and hosts vital refineries that boost its economic growth. These refineries are spread throughout the nation and are crucial for ensuring Nigeria’s energy supply and economic stability. The operational and upcoming facilities showcase Nigeria’s commitment to fulfilling energy requirements and promoting sector growth.
List Of All Refineries In Nigeria
Table Of Contents
| NAME OF REFINERY | LOCATION | BARRELS PER DAY |
| PORT HARCOURT REFINERY | Port Harcourt | 150,000 |
| WARRI REFINERY | Warri | 100,000 |
| KADUNA REFINERY | Kaduna | 130,000 |
| NIGER DELTA PETROLEUM RESOURCES | Rivers State | 1,000 |
| INDORAMA ELEME PETROCHEMICALS COMPANY LIMITED | Rivers State | 22,000 tonnes per annum |
| DANGOTE REFINERY | Lagos | 650,000 |
PORT HARCOURT REFINERY
This refinery is one of Nigeria’s oldest and largest. It plays a crucial role in refining crude oil to make important petroleum products. The Port Harcourt Refining Company, abbreviated as PHRC, is a Nigerian oil and gas firm mainly focused on refining crude oil into petroleum products. Its headquarters is in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, southeastern Nigeria. It operates as a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Located southeast of Port Harcourt in Alesa Eleme, the company operates two oil refineries. The first plant, established in 1965, can process 60,000 barrels (9,500 m3) per stream day. The second plant, commissioned in 1989, has a capacity of 150,000 barrels (24,000 m3) per stream day. These two plants together have a total capacity of 210,000 barrels (33,000 m3) per stream day, which positions PHRC as the largest oil refining company in Nigeria.
WARRI REFINERY
In 1979, General Olusegun Obasanjo commissioned the Warri Refinery with an initial capacity of 100,000 barrels per day. By 1988, its capacity was increased to 125,000 barrels per day. The refinery, located at Ekpan, Warri, delta state, is operated by the Warri Refining & Petrochemicals Company (WRPC) Limited, a subsidiary of NNPC. It converts crude oil from Escravos and Ughelli into essential products like liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), premium motor spirit (PMS), dual-purpose kerosene (DPK), automotive gas oil (AGO), and fuel oil. WRPC’s petrochemical plants produce decant oil, polypropylene, and carbon black from high propylene feedstock in the Fluid Catalytic Cracking unit (FCCU).
KADUNA REFINERY
Kaduna Refining & Petrochemical Company Limited. In 1980, they started the refinery to provide petroleum products to Northern Nigeria, able to process 50,000 barrels per day. By 1983, they expanded it to 100,000 barrels per day by adding another 50,000 barrels per day unit for making lubricating oils. The first unit’s capacity increased to 60,000 barrels per day in 1986. These expansions raised the refinery’s total capacity to 130,000 barrels per day. Nigeria considers this refinery crucial for its energy sector. It refines crude oil to obtain valuable products.
The NNPC’s Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Malam Mele Kyari, stated that the Port Harcourt refinery will be operational before the end of 2023, while the ones in Warri and Kaduna will commence production in 2024.
NIGER DELTA PETROLEUM RESOURCES
Niger Delta Exploration & Production Plc (NDEP) operates as a publicly owned Investment Company, focusing on Independent Oil and Gas. It owns various assets. The Ogbele refinery, situated in Rivers, Nigeria, is operated by Niger Delta Petroleum Resources. The company’s aim was to establish a local workforce and use local capital to benefit the oil and gas sector. The refinery’s capacity is 1,000 barrels per day. It primarily produces diesel for internal use and sells any surplus to the local community. An upstream affiliate of NDEP, called Niger Delta Exploration and Production Company, manages a flow station in its marginal field. This station supplies crude oil to the plant.
INDORAMA ELEME PETROCHEMICALS COMPANY LIMITED
Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited (IEPL) is located in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, and is a subsidiary of Indorama Corporation. IEPL produces Polyethylene and Polypropylene products. At first, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) owned IEPL and named it Eleme Petrochemicals Company Limited (EPCL). In August 2006, Indorama Corporation became the main investor after the privatization of EPCL. Since then, IEPL has gained operational stability, raised production capacities, received global awards and certifications, and emerged as a successful instance of Nigeria’s Privatization Program.
Situated in Eleme, Rivers State, the complex processes natural gas liquids from the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and propylene-rich feed from the Port Harcourt refinery. This results in the production of various polyethylene and polypropylene products. The complex has a butene-1 production capacity of 22,000 tonnes per annum, a polyethylene production capacity of 270,000 tonnes per annum, and a polypropylene production capacity of 80,000 tonnes per annum. IEPL successfully revitalized the previously underutilized plant, ensuring stable petrochemical production and positioning itself for future plant complex expansion.
DANGOTE REFINERY
Aliko Dangote owns the Dangote Refinery, which he started on May 22, 2023, in Lekki, Nigeria. The refinery can process up to 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it the world’s largest refinery. The investment amounts to over 19 billion US dollars.
The refinery occupies a 6,180-acre site in the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lekki, Lagos State. It receives crude oil through the world’s longest sub-sea pipeline, measuring 1,100 km. Once fully operational, it will create 135,000 permanent jobs in the region.
This refinery will meet Nigeria’s petroleum product demand and have a surplus for export. Dangote Petroleum Refinery, a multi-billion dollar project, will enable a yearly opportunity of $21 Billion from Nigerian Crude. It’s designed for Nigerian crude but can also handle other types of crude.
Upcoming Refineries Include:
Some companies have started building these refineries at different levels of progress, as reported by Nigerianfindings.com.
| NAME | LOCATION/STATE |
| OPAC Refinery | Kwale |
| Walter smith Refinery and petrochemical Company Limited | Ibigwe |
| Niger Delta and Petrochemical Company Limited | Ikpoba, Edo State |
| Lowrie Refinery Limited Limited | Ika North, Delta State |
| Excel Refinery Limited | Ekeremor, Bayelsa State |
| Clairgold Oil and Gas Engineering Limited | Koko, Delta |
| Ogini Refinery Limited | Kwale, Delta State |
| Etopo Energy Plc | Burutu, Delta State |
| Conodit Nigeria Limited | Delta State |
| Azikel Petroleum Limited | Yenagoa, Delta State |
| Gasoline Associates International Limited | Ipokia, Ogun State |
| Kingdom Global Trading Petroleum | Ughelli South, Delta State |
| Amakpe International Refinery | Ibeno, Akwa Ibom |
| Allegiance Energy and Power Limited | Esit Eket, Akwa Ibom State |
| Grazing Stock Petroleum Company Limited | Ndoka East, Delta State |
| Resources Petroleum and Petrochemical International | Akwa Ibom State |
| Frao Oil Nigeria Limited | Uzere, Delta State |
| NPDC/ND Western OML34 | Ughelli North, Delta State |
| Alexis Refinery Limited | Aboh, Ndokwa East, Delta State |
FAQS
Where is the oldest refinery in Nigeria?
The first refinery was built in Port Harcourt in 1965 with a capacity to process 60,000 barrels per day and a ‘new’ one in the same place in 1989 could process 150,000 barrels per stream day.
Who has the biggest refinery in Nigeria?
Aliko Dangote
The $19 billion facility built by Aliko Dangote, Africa’s wealthiest man, in Nigeria’s economic hub of Lagos, is one of the world’s biggest oil refineries and has a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day
Which state in Nigeria has refineries?
The Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has set dates for the commencement of operation at three refineries located in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Warri in Delta State, and Kaduna State.
How much does a refinery cost?
The investment cost of a completely new refinery depends on its size and location. It is generally estimated that a 160,000 b/d (8 million tons per year) refinery, equipped and gasoline units and built in Europe, would currently cost more than $6 billion as at 2022