The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has dismissed reports of an explosion at the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), calling them “completely false.”

In a statement, NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, clarified that the refinery is undergoing routine maintenance, which necessitated a temporary shutdown of operations at WRPC Area 1.

Soneye stated that the maintenance exercise, which began on January 25, 2025, is aimed at ensuring the production of high-quality diesel and kerosene.

“The routine maintenance is progressing as planned, and Area 1 will be back in operation within the next few days,” he assured.

Despite the shutdown, Soneye noted that diesel supply remains unaffected, with the refinery dispatching an average of eight trucks daily over the past 11 days. He emphasized that the refinery has adequate supply to sustain deliveries during the maintenance period.

The Warri refinery, which has a capacity of 125,000 barrels per day, resumed operations in December 2024 after a prolonged period of inactivity.