In order for a petrochemical company to obtain a permit for the fabrication of plant and equipment, the federal government of Nigeria through the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) www.dprnigeria.com instituted a very rigorous process of engineering design and relevant technical knowledge followed by unscheduled physical assessments and inspections.

Furthermore, the deregulation of the downstream sector of the Oil & Gas Industry in addition to the desire of the federal government to mitigate 483,000 barrels per day (BPD) shortfall in oil refining capacity obligated the DPR to impose exacting standards on potential petrochemical companies in order to be licensed to operate.

When it became evident to DPR in 2007 that the majority of the 18 oil refinery licensees in Nigeria did not have either the financial resources or engineering expertise or the zeal to follow DPR’s specific guidelines it cancelled all the outstanding licenses and only a few reapplied under the more strenuous guidelines.

In light of the above, the DPR’s certification of the first phase of our refinery project speaks volumes.