NNPC: Bayelsa Greenfield Refinery’ll Create 7,000 Jobs

Written by Friday, 23 July 2010

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said an estimated 7,000 job opportunities would be created from the construction and operation of a Greenfield Refinery in Bayelsa State, which it plans in partnership with the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC).

The NNPC, about two months ago, executed a Memorandum of Understanding with CSCEC to jointly seek debt financing from Chinese banks for the funding and construction of three Greenfield Refineries and one Petrochemical plant.  The Refineries, which would be located in Kogi, Lagos and Bayelsa States have a combined capacity of 750,000 barrels per day.

Speaking in Government House Yenagoa, at the commencement of a two-day visit to Bayelsa state by the NNPC and the Chinese investors to seek the allocation of land for the project and undertake a physical appreciation of the proposed sites, Group Executive Director, Engineering and Technology at the Corporation, Engr. Billy Agha who represented the Group Managing Director, stated that while about 5,000 workers would be required during the period of the planned construction, an estimated 2,000 workers are needed to run the industrial complex when it comes on stream.

“Other multiplier effects will include the generation of local businesses for auxiliary services, including suppliers of goods and services of all types to the hydrocarbon complex. In addition, the Bayelsa Refinery is expected to produce about 500,000 Metric Tons of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG per annum,’’ a statement yesterday by Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs, at the corporation, Dr. Levi Ajuonuma quoted Agha  as saying.

Agha, the statement added, explained that the availability of such a volume of LPG would help trigger the switch from firewood, charcoal and kerosene to LPG as domestic household fuel in Bayelsa state and its immediate environs.

When completed, the Bayelsa Greenfield Refinery will be the first to be integrated with an Industrial Hydrocarbon Park designed to convert natural gas and refined petroleum products into hydrocarbon derivatives.

To achieve this feat, Agha explained that the NNPC will be seeking partnership with existing concessionaires to explore the joint development of infrastructure for the supply of natural gas, power, water and an oil industry port/jetty.

“Such cooperation would provide an excellent opportunity to establish a world class Refinery and Hydrocarbon Park where some of the utilities can be outsourced leading to significant reductions in overall project capital costs. On its part, NNPC intends to utilize natural gas as feedstock, for the manufacture of petrochemicals, fertilizer and other much desired industrial products,’’ Agha said, even as he called on the Bayelsa State Government to join hands with the NNPC as co-investor in the Refinery.

Responding, Governor Timipre Sylva stated that Bayelsa is ready to participate in the project, and urged NNPC to consider Oloibiri, the birth place of commercial crude oil exploration and production in Nigeria, as a possible site for the Bayelsa Greenfield Refinery because of its historic relevance to the oil industry in Nigeria.