INDENI Petroleum Refinery is expected to resume operations later this week following 45 days of maintenance, managing director, Maybin Noole has said.
According to a statement released in Ndola yesterday by the firm’s public relations officer Mwila Nkonge, the maintenance works and instrumentation project were completed on schedule, with no fatalities or major lost time injuries.
During the shutdown, one of the longest and heaviest in the refinery’s history, the company migrated its instrumentation control to an electronic system.
Mr Noole said the plant had started operating and management expected to send all products to storage within the next days.
“True to our commitment to safety, I am pleased that the works were conducted in a very safe manner.
“On behalf of management, I wish to commend all the personnel involved in the shutdown – our own staff and contractors – for this excellent safety record,” he said.
On Friday, Energy Minister Kenneth Konga told Dow Jones Newswires that all the maintenance work had finished, and that Zambia did not experience any fuel shortages during the shutdown.
Indeni was shut in October for annual maintenance to replace obsolete machinery at the aging refinery, which has broken down several times in the past few years, causing fuel shortages in Zambia.
[pullquote]“True to our commitment to safety, I am pleased that the works were conducted in a very safe manner.
“On behalf of management, I wish to commend all the personnel involved in the shutdown – our own staff and contractors – for this excellent safety record,” he said.[/pullquote]
The Government imported at least 55 million litres of refined fuel products as a safeguard against fuel shortages on the domestic market before the closure.
The Government is considering recapitalisation and upgrades at Indeni, contingent on the results of a study of Zambia’s fuel needs, Mr Konga said.
[ Times of Zambia ]
I didn’t know we were expecting fatalities at Indeni :-o
It will be a great investment that will benefit the country and the region to build another petroleum processing plant with modern and better technology as an alternative and back up facility to the ever limping Indeni.
can you imagine how many jobs will be created?
@Not a LOWyer, No one would expect fatalities but when you consider the scope of works undertaken during the shutdown, more especially that some works involved working in confined spaces as well as at heights, the non-occurrence of injuries/fatalities is a great thing.
@Zambia Wesu, kindly try and visit Indeni so you witness what is going on.
# 3.. I am open minded, kindly educate me on what is happening at Indeni.
showing your ignorance ba No.1. such undertakings like a 45day annual shutdown is massive planned maintenance works which usually will attract injuries even fatalities. in construction and engineeing projects one of th benchmarks to cross is zero LTI and zero fatalities in such undertakings and thats a milestone for your information.safety is no.1 in heavy industries and it even attracts some bonuses if succesfully executed. hope all those who were involved will be given some bonus for doing the work safely according to instructions and plans.
Unfortunately it is not ignorance ba Shimaini, #5. It is only that you do not go to such extremes as to announce such expectations. It says much about your attracting investments or even highly qualified staff. And I have worked in such environments – just for your information.
Where is the strategic partner this time, i thot Total pulled out due to lack of seriousness by the govt vis a vis safety standards at indeni. mulamana basa.
INot a LOWyer says,
its not extremes ba “Not a LOWyer says” but it becomes part of your profile and cv in terms of safety standards you have attained as an organisation or engineering firm. These are records and standards the international safety orgnaisations look for them to award you for example BS2000. its something those involved in are proud of so they will announce that and those who understand this will appreciate it and strategic partners so called are encouraged by this for your information.
Shimaini, please do not bother yourself so much explaining complicated aspects like LTI and zero fatality to people who have never worked in areas where safety rules and regulations are cardinal in every day management of productivity or operations.
INDENI management, well done for the above result of being on time to resume the operations of the refinery, no major LTI and no fatalities. It is a great achievement and encouraging! By the way in addition to this marvellous result, the country also had normal fuel supplies during this shut down. This is a reflection of good planning by the current management of Maybin Noole.
Your ladyship (#9), it is ok to explain such ‘complicated aspects’ in a forum like this, and so far Shimaini is not taking a haughty stance as you apparently are doing. Fine with me if working in places like NCZ – when it still was viable – is not to your level of ‘safety rules and regulations’ (i.e. early 90’s)
My point of view is different from shimaini, quality management is fine but parroting such issues in the press should be moderated. I still think that one’s expectation of fatalities impinges negatively on your cv. I rest my case. Thanks Shimaini.