Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has advocated the establishment of mini refineries to reduce the level of pipeline vandalism in the country.
The establishment of mini refineries in different areas of the Niger Delta will ensure that the 450,000 barrels of crude oil meant for local consumption are refined locally, Okowa said.
BusinessDay reports that the governor made the call when the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), Akii Ibhadode paid him a courtesy call in Asaba, on Thursday.
He noted that government must explored and harness all avenues to reduce illegal refining of petroleum products and pipeline vandalism.
“We look forward to having effective and efficient mini refineries so that our people will be better encouraged to follow due process in refining petroleum products, rather than vandalising our pipelines and seeking to get crude from the local provisions that NNPC provides on a daily basis for refining.
“I am aware that at the moment about 450,000 barrels are supposed to be left locally for the purpose of refining, but because we have not been able to attain an efficient process of refining our products, they will not be able to approach NNPC in any manner to be part of the companies that utilise the 450,000 barrels,” he said.
He however commended the management of FUPRE for its efforts towards producing mini refineries, positing, “it is good to hear that the University of Petroleum Resources is doing something towards having micro and mini refineries.”
He used the occasion to challenge institutions of higher learning in the country to ensure that their products were technically equipped to be self-reliant, decrying situations where students were after “paper certificate rather than acquiring technical skills.”
Earlier, the vice chancellor commended the governor for the giant strides recorded by his administration within the few months of his being in office.
He said the visit to the governor’s office was to intimate him of the activities of FUPRE, which include the development of micro refineries that were effective and could be used in different locations of the country.
