After many delays, the Port-Harcourt refinery, which has a daily capacity of 210,000 barrels, could finally start operating by the end of July.
Chief Ukadike Chinedu, National Public Relations Officer of the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria, announced the revised date on Monday.
He added that the development will boost economic activity, lower petroleum product prices, and assure an adequate supply.
Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, announced last December the mechanical completion and flare start-up of Port Harcourt’s largest oil refinery.
The refineries are divided into two sections, with the old plant capable of refining 60,000 barrels per day and the modern facility capable of refining 150,000 barrels per day.
The government hired Maire Tecnimont, a technical adviser from Itay, to oversee assessments of the refinery complex, and oil firm Eni was recruited as the adviser. As a result, the refinery shut down in March 2019 for the first phase of rehabilitation works.
Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, reportedly said on March 15, 2024, that the Port Harcourt refinery will start up in around two weeks.
Following his appearance before the Senate Ad hoc committee looking into the different turnaround repair projects of the nation’s refineries, the NNPC CEO revealed this during a press briefing.
In his words:
“We did a mechanical completion of the refinery that was what we said in December. We now have crude oil already stocked in the refinery. We are doing regulatory compliance tests that must happen in every refinery before you start it, and I assure you that this Port Harcourt refinery will start in two weeks.”
Two months after he made the guarantee, though, the machinery was still not operating.
The IPMAN official said in an exclusive interview with Punch on Monday that the work completed reflected a full turnaround, not simply rehabilitation, and that every effort will be made to fulfil the deadline in July.
According to Ukadike:
“Yes when we visited the place, the MD told us that the refinery was almost ready and by the end of July, they would start producing. It has been turned into a new one they changed all the armoured cable to brand new and everything there is almost like a brand-new refinery.
“The turnaround on maintenance is very massive and the job is being done day and night. All hands are on deck to make sure that they meet that target. By ending of July the refinery should be ready.”
When reminded of the several commitments made by the administration to initiate the project, Ukadike said:
“Yes, there have been delays but they didn’t tell us any reason for the delay of the last deadline given in April.
“They are not facing any challenges at all; I can say the refinery is 99 per cent ready.
“What we want is competition. I am very sure that with the two refineries, the price of petrol will be reduced. Dangote is coming soon and the Port Harcourt refinery is almost ready too and that is very good. We need that competition for the benefit of the nation.”
The Dangote Refinery has proposed to start producing fuel by the end of June, and this timeframe aligns with their proposal.
Also Read:
Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury by split decision, becomes the world’s undisputed heavyweight champion
cc: Punch Ng
