Azikel Refinery Will Add Value to Crude, Employment, Industrialisation, Says Eruani

 .As 90% near completion excites Diri 

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa 

President of Azikel Group, Dr. Azibapu Eruani, has said that the objective of the Azikel Petroleum Refinery is to add value to the Nigerian crude, create employment, industrialisation of the nation and refined petroleum product availability.

This, Dr. Eruani said when he received the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri who paid him a courtesy visit at the refinery in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Eruani said further that with the refinery at completion stage, it signals the industrialisation of Bayelsa and Nigeria as whole, even as he noted that today Bayelsa would be counted among states that host a refinery.

The President and owner of Azikel Refinery, emphasised the uniqueness of the refinery in the Africa subregion as the only refinery that utilises both crude oil and condensate as feedstock to refine premium petroleum products.

“The Azikel Refinery stands out as the first and only condensate hydro-skimming refinery in the entire Africa subregion,” he said.

He explained that the Azikel Refinery is creating a market for the condensate that is being wasted, thereby adding value to it; and that the Azikel Refinery’s model, is being projected by the Nigerian state, having step up the campaign that other refineries began the utilisation of condensate in refining premium petroleum products.

Eruani pointed that Azikel Refinery is an hydroskimming refinery with a slate to produce PMS, AGO, DKP, aviation fuel and heavy fuel oil, adding that owing to the product slates, only two refinery are considered as full refineries, that can produce PMS (petrol) in addition to other products, which are the Azikel Refinery and the Dangote Refinery in Nigeria.

“The Azikel Refinery is different from topping plants, which are modular refineries that produces only diesel, even as he assured the people of the state and Nigeria that production from the Azikel Refinery is about five million litres of premium products daily which would redress scarcity and ensure product sufficiency to the citizenry,” Eruani added 

He posited that the Azikel Refinery has closed the unemployment gap with the employment of over 400 indigenous and expatriate workers, while 250 are Bayelsans and other Nigerians.

According to him, to ensure that youths employed in Bayelsa are proficient, management took time to train and improve their skills in tandem with best practice and modern refinery operations.

Azikel Refinery which $850m investment upon completion would be the major internal revenue stream to the Bayelsa State government and Nigeria.

He noted that the Azikel Refinery is 87 per cent completed, stressing that in the near future the value created would put smiles on the faces of the people of the state and Nigerians.

Eruani explained that the term modular refinery does not connote small, but it only meant that the process modules are manufactured oversea and shipped into the country for easy assembling, installation and inaguration. 

“As at today the Azikel Refinery completion status of the  OSBL (Outside Battery Limits) is 100 per cent complete while the ISBL (Inside Battery Limits) is 74 percent completed; and the overall completion is 87 per cent completed. 

In his remarks, Governor Diri said that efforts to market Bayelsa State has paid off with the Azikel Petroleum refinery which is at completion stage.

An exited Diri, who extolled the Azikel Chief Executive for citing his refinery in Bayelsa, said Eruani, has broken the jinx in establishing the Azikel Modular Refinery, which is the first crude oil-related industry in the state.

The governor commended Eruani’s business acumen, noting that the abundance of crude in the state would eliminate losses and other impediments to smooth operations of the refinery.

He also stated that the refinery had changed the status of the state in its industrialisation drive and that it met the dreams of its founding fathers.

The Bayelsa helmsman said the refinery would improve the internally generated revenue of the state and create job opportunities for the youths.

He expressed delight that the project was nearing completion and that he would be part of the history of inaugurating the first modular refinery in the state.

According to him, it was an aberration for the state to have abundant crude oil and gas without industries or 24-hour electricity.

He restated his administration is determination to tackle the electricity challenge and that it was ready to engage investors to revive the state’s gas turbines.

He also advised that development of the state should not be left only in the hands of politicians or government and urged privileged Bayelsans to partner his administration to build the state.

He said: “Dr. Eruani has established a modular refinery here in Bayelsa State and not in any other state. Let me on behalf of the government and people of Bayelsa State congratulate you and thank you for this bold step to make our dreams come to pass.

“This is what our state’s founding fathers and all of us have been talking about. We cannot have crude oil and gas on our soil and not have electricity or industry in the state. 

“You have broken the jinx and I am sure the younger generation will follow your footsteps.

 “Development is not done by the government alone. It is done in partnership with the private sector. That is why we are very glad that you are partnering the state government in developing Bayelsa State. Like you rightly said, this will bring job opportunities here and taxes will be paid to the state government 

“I have often said that you do not need to lay pipes too far away from where you have the raw materials. Elementary economics taught us about nearness to source of raw materials. This is the knowledge and benefit in siting the refinery just a stone’s throw from the crude. Eruani knows where the problem was because he is from Bayelsa. He understands that by siting his industry close to where the raw material is, it is going to be cost-effective and will not face a lot of challenges.

“Now if they call businessmen in Nigeria, I will say I also have Dr. Eruani in my state. I invite our businessmen from Bayelsa that are doing well outside the state to also come home to affect lives, create jobs and join hands with the government to develop the state.”