Azikel Refinery in Bayelsa State is in its final construction stage, with about 700 engineers and workers currently on site. The $1 billion facility has been redesigned to process 25,000 barrels per day, up from the original approved capacity. Billionaire Azibapu Eruani, president of Azikel Group, disclosed the development during a recent tour of the refinery complex by members of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
Refinery Capacity and Products
The refinery is designed as a full-slate hydro-skimming plant with a capacity to process 25,000 barrels of crude oil or condensate per day. It is expected to produce premium motor spirit (petrol), diesel, aviation fuel, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas, and other refined products. Eruani described Azikel as Nigeria's second-largest full-slate refinery and said it was the only refinery in Africa designed to process condensate into a complete range of products.
The project has grown significantly from the facility initially approved by regulators. The project received approval in 2015 under former President Muhammadu Buhari. In November 2023, Azikel Petroleum signed a $259 million debt funding agreement with the African Export-Import Bank for a 12,000-barrel-per-day hydro-skimming refinery. However, Eruani said the project subsequently underwent enhanced value engineering and redesign, increasing its capacity to 25,000 barrels per day.
Employment and Economic Impact
About 700 engineers and other personnel are currently working on the completion of the project, with most of the workforce comprising young Bayelsans and Nigerian engineers alongside expatriate specialists. Azikel said the refinery is expected to employ more than 3,000 people when it becomes operational, while the project has already generated more than 80,000 indirect jobs, according to Billionaires.Africa.
Mac Jokori, chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Bayelsa branch, described the facility as a major milestone for Nigeria's refining industry. Jokori said the refinery had complied with high engineering standards and would contribute to industrialisation, local capacity development, and employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
Future Expansion Plans
The Guardian reports that the company plans to expand the refinery's capacity to 125,000 barrels per day in the future. Azikel Petroleum contracted US oil services company McDermott for feasibility studies and construction work on the facility. Eruani noted that the ability to convert crude oil or condensate into petrol and aviation fuel was a major feature of the refinery.
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Clarivo Oil and Gas Ltd announced plans to construct a world-class oil refinery in Calabar. Obidike Chukwuebuka, speaking to journalists in Calabar, said the proposed facility will be developed in multiple phases and feature state-of-the-art technologies designed to produce high-quality petroleum products. The company projects that the refinery will come online within about five years, subject to regulatory approvals and the successful completion of project phases.
