The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has placed order for the importation of heavy crude oil from Venezuela for the petrochemical unit of the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) which produces lubricants used in industries.

``We have ordered for the commodity so that the petrochemical unit of the KRPC will start production soon after the re-streaming of the plant scheduled to re-start production next week,’’ the NNPC Group Managing Director (GMD) Engineer Abubakar Lawal Yar’adua said.

The GMD spoke Wednesday (5th March, 2008) in Kaduna after a tour of the KRPC which suspended production since February 18th 2006 as a result of the vandalism of the pipeline that supply crude oil to it from Chanomi creek in Escravos near Warri in Delta state.

According to the GMD, the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU) as well as the boilers of the plant had been fully rehabilitated. He expressed satisfaction with the quality of repairs carried out by the staff in preparation for the start-up of the plant.

``You have restored confidence and kept our integrity intact and demonstrated that Nigerians can successfully operate refineries’’ he told the highly excited staff of the KRPC.

Engineer Yar’adua said the handing back of the Refineries to the NNPC was a serious challenge and urged all to buckle up and tackle the challenge head-on.

He promised to continue to interact with staff and other stakeholders to ensure that industrial peace and harmony were maintained in the NNPC. He appealed to the staff to redouble their efforts and operate the plant safely and optimally while assuring them of his support.

The resumption of production at the KRPC will ensure availability of products in the northern part of the country and reduce the current importation of products.