Rivers State has set the blazing record of being the first State to have a modular refinery, an incontrovertible evidence that the state was taking a break from the backdrop political turbulence, rising crime rate and a general climate of insecurity.

The modular refinery, owned by the Niger Delta Petroleum Resources (NDPR), a subsidiary of the Niger Delta Exploration and Production Plc (NDEP), is located at Ogbele in Ahoada-East Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Acting Director of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Ahmed Shakur told newsmen in Port Harcourt that NDPR was the first to acquire license for a modular refinery and currently producing six thousand barrels of diesel per day.

Shakur made this disclosure shortly after an inspection tour of NDPR’s modular refinery at Ogbele, Ahoada-East LGA.

The DPR boss also clarified that despite recent protests by some community members demanding participation in the refinery, the NDPR has maintained a good relationship with its host community.

The modular refineries were the Federal Government’s novel initiative to assuage the increasing rate of illegal oil bunkering activities in the Niger Delta region.

This has manifested in the burning of crude oil illegally obtained from oil facilities across the region which has continued to endanger the environment with major cities swamped by soot resulting from these illegal activities.

Shakur stated that more modular refinery operators licensed by the DPR will soon begin operations in the Niger Delta region.

He explained that the Federal Government was passionate about the success of modular refineries in the nation’s oil and gas sector.

The DPR acting Director, Ahmed Shakur said the department has recently improved its surveillance on petrol stations to curb illicit activities by some petroleum marketers in Rivers State.

Also speaking, the Zonal Controller of the DPR, Port Harcourt office, Bassey Ikanga’a has assured that the production of diesel at the NDPR modular refinery will resolve issues of scarcity of the product in fuelling stations in the state.

Ikanga’a also said the operation of the refinery will help reduce the patronage of the dangerous kpofire (illegal) diesel and gradually phase out the artesian refineries in the region.

The Zonal Controller of the DPR, Port Harcourt office commended petroleum marketers in the state for not buying and selling kpofire petrol and diesel in their fuelling stations, encouraging the marketers to renew their operating license so as to operate freely without sanctions from the DPR.