‘It wasn’t explosion’- NNPCL reveals what happened at Warri Refinery

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has refuted reports circulating in some sections of the media alleging an explosion at the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC).

In a statement released on Friday, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, clarified that the incident in question was a routine maintenance operation, not an explosion as reported.
“NNPC Ltd. wishes to clarify that there was no explosion at the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC). Any reports suggesting otherwise are completely false,” the statement read.

According to Soneye, on January 25, 2025, operations at WRPC’s Area 1 were deliberately curtailed to facilitate necessary intervention works on specific equipment. This included maintenance on field instruments critical to ensuring stable and sustainable operations.

“These intervention works are essential to ensure the production of on-specification finished and intermediate products, particularly Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and Kerosene (Kero),” the statement added.

NNPCL assured that the maintenance activities are proceeding as planned, with Area 1 expected to resume full operations within the next few days. Despite the ongoing work, the company has maintained an average AGO loading rate of eight trucks per day over the past 11 days, ensuring a steady supply to support distribution activities.

The corporation reaffirmed its commitment to uninterrupted product availability and expressed appreciation for the patience and support of stakeholders during the maintenance period.