Waltersmith doubles refinery capacity
Waltersmith Refining and Petrochemical Company has expanded its modular refinery to enhance self-sufficiency in domestic refinery. The company showcased key regulators, signalling a new phase of growth in the country’s
Waltersmith Refining and Petrochemical Company has expanded its modular refinery to enhance self-sufficiency in domestic refinery.
The company showcased key regulators, signalling a new phase of growth in the country’s midstream sector.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Felix Omatsola Ogbe, alongside the Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Saidu Mohammed, toured the facility in Ohaji-Egbema, Imo State, to inspect the newly completed expansion.
The refinery’s capacity has now doubled from 5,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 10,000 bpd.
The expansion builds on NCDMB’s 2018 equity investment, which helped catalyse the project and led to the commissioning of its first phase in November 2020. With the new capacity fully operational, the plant now produces diesel (AGO), household kerosene (HHK), heavy fuel oil (HFO) and naphtha, supplying over 1.1 billion litres of refined products to local and regional markets.
Most of the refinery’s output serves Nigeria’s South-East and South-South regions, while its HFO reaches the wider West African sub-region—contributing to energy security and reducing reliance on imports.
Representing the NCDMB Executive Secretary, Director of Legal Services Naboth Onyesoh described Waltersmith as a model for local content development, citing its impact on job creation, industrialisation, capital retention and value addition within Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain.
Chairman of Waltersmith Petroman, Abdulrazak Isa, said the visit also served to introduce the facility to the NMDPRA’s new leadership and outline the company’s next phase of expansion. He noted that the firm has evolved from a single oil field operator three decades ago into a diversified energy player with stakes in Renaissance Africa Energy Ltd, which acquired the assets of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria in March 2025.
Looking ahead, Waltersmith plans a major scale-up, including a 30,000-bpd condensate refinery and an industrial park designed to host gas-based industries. The development will be supported by a gas pipeline delivering 100 million standard cubic feet per day and embedded captive power to attract co-located businesses.
Isa said the company aims to finalise partnership agreements for the condensate refinery by the fourth quarter of 2026, with feedstock expected from the Ibigwe and Assa fields, as well as nearby assets. He added that the company is positioning itself to deepen investments in petrochemicals, leveraging access to gas and naphtha as key feedstock.
In response, the NMDPRA chief commended the project’s success and pledged regulatory support for its expansion plans. He described the midstream segment as critical to Nigeria’s economic transformation and urged Waltersmith to accelerate the development of its condensate refinery.
Mohammed also praised NCDMB’s role in backing the project, noting that the partnership has delivered a commercially viable and scalable model for Nigeria’s refining ambitions.
