FG Grants Additional 5,000 bpd Licence to Waltersmith Refinery in Ibigwe

•Inaugurates gas expansion working group, others

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) yesterday announced the granting of an additional 5,000 barrels per day licence to Waltersmith located in Ibigwe, Imo State.

In a statement on its X handle, the midstream and downstream regulator stated that the approval was granted in the phase two of the plant’s development, but noted that the next phase will begin in 2025.

The modular refinery with a 5,000 barrels per day production capacity achieved under the Phase1 development, had been undergoing expansion to 10,000bpd with a target to further ramp up the capacity to 40,000bpd in the shortest possible time.

“Today, the Authority granted a License to Construct (LTC) of Phase 2 to Waltersmith Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited.

“Authority Chief Executive, Farouk Ahmed, stated that Waltersmith operates a topping plant refinery in Ibigwe, Imo State,-with a capacity of 5,000 barrels per stream day (BPSD). This plant produces AGO, DPK, HPFO, and Naphtha.

“The refinery is expected to be commissioned by Q3 2025, and that the refinery plans to expand to Phase 3 immediately after,” he stated.

It also quoted Waltersmith’s Managing Director, Muhammad Musa,as highlighting that the milestone will allow Waltersmith to double its current capacity.

Musa expressed gratitude to both the Waltersmith and NMDPRA teams for their support and noted that the achievement reflects the government’s confidence in their capabilities.

“ The company assures Nigerians of its dedication  to finding new ways to contribute value to the country,” the NMDPRA noted in the message.

Meanwhile, the federal government has inaugurated the Technical Working Group (TWG) for the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP), National Directorate of Employment (NDE), and Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) power project to oversee the utilisation, implementation and establishment of Gas Power Projects in local government areas across the nation.

In his remarks at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Nicholas Ella highlighted  NDE’s strong focus on vocational skills development programme, a core mandate that aligns with NGEP’s Gas-preneurship initiative

 He explained that the Gaspreneurship initiative, developed by NGEP, encompasses the art and science of all aspects of the gas value chain, including exploration, production, transmission, and distribution.

The TWG will drive the implementation of this initiative, fostering collaboration among NGEP, NDE, and ALGON to promote gas-based economic development and job creation in local communities.

“The comprehensive training component covers:- Entire gas streams and operating principles- audit of machinery and equipment types and capacity for suitable system installation and calibration,” he stated.

The gaspreneurship Initiative  would  conclude with the provision of starter packs, including diagnostic tools and equipment, and identification of appropriate workshops and business incubation centres in local government areas nationwide and this would  enable trainee gaspreneurs to become employers of labour upon graduation, he added.

The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the NGEP, ALGON and NDE TWG include: To identify clear areas of intervention along the gas value chains that can transform the socio-economics of the LGAs; design a simple energy (power and transportation) audit template for determining the energy requirements of the LGAs as well as design a selection criterion for LGAs to participate in the various phases of the implementation of these initiatives, among others.

Membership of the Technical Working Group (TWG)  which were drawn from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, NDE and ALGON comprised : Chairman of NGEP, Prof. M. M. Ibrahim, Assistant Director (Information) Mr. Christopher Ugwuegbulam, among others.