Victor Ezeja
AdminThe Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) in Rivers State is about to recommence operations in line with the Nigerian government’s promise to ensure the production of refined petroleum products at the facility in December 2023. With the subsisting effects of the removal of subsidy on fuel, the development is expected to impact on the cost of the product.
The Minister of state for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, who made the announcement during a media tour of the Port Harcourt refinery on Thursday, assured that production of petroleum products at the refinery will commence after the Christmas break.
According to him, “Just to announce to Nigerians the fulfillment of our pledge to bring on stream phase one of the Port Harcourt refinery by the end of 2023 and the subsequent streaming of phase two in 2024. We happily announced the mechanical completion and the flare start-off on the 20th of December 2023.
“This (tour) heralds the commencement of production of petroleum products after the Christmas break. We want to thank Nigerians for their patience and trust in the NNPC to deliver on her promise and mandate of the rehabilitation of our refineries.”
The Port Harcourt Refineries comprise of two units, with the old plant having a refining capacity of 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) and the new plant 150,000 bpd, both summing up to 210,000 bpd.
The recommencement of operations at the Port Harcourt refinery comes over two years after the Federal Government approved funding of $1.5 billion (1.2 billion euros) to repair one of its biggest oil refineries. The government chose an Italian firm Maire Tecnimont to carry out the repair work at the Port Harcourt facility.
Prime Business Africa reports that Nigeria owns four refineries with two located in Port Harcourt while the others are in Warri and Kaduna apiece. But for many years, the refineries have been moribund despite Turn-Around-Maintenance (TAM) efforts on them which have cost Nigeria billions of dollars.
The four public refineries have a combined capacity to process 445,000 barrels per day (bpd). But they were shut down in 2019.
Lokpobiri had assured in August that the Port Harcourt refinery will recommence operations in December. Speaking while inspecting rehabilitation works at the PHRC Ltd Plant at the time, he said, “our objective in coming here today is to ensure that in the next few years, Nigeria stops fuel importation. From what we have seen here today, Port Harcourt Refinery will come on board by the end of the year”.
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