Fuel shortages across the country may worsen over the coming weeks as the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) has shut down operations due to lack of crude oil.
According to the Executive Director, Services (EDS) of KRPC, Abdullahi Idris, the refinery, commissioned in 1980, was functioning at 60 per cent capacity before it was shut down two weeks ago due to the absence of crude oil. Idris, in an email response to questions sent to him, said the KRPC produced four million litres of petrol per day before it was shut down.
The EDS, who said the lubes and petrochemical plant of the refinery plant was commissioned in 1983 and 1988 respectively, explained that the plant was also producing 2.5 million litres of (AGO) diesel and 1.6 million litres of kerosene per day.
He maintained that the plant had undergone a turnaround maintenance (TAM) in 2013 and currently has a workforce of 1,004 staff.