Victor EzejaThe Nigerian government has announced that the mechanical phase of rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery has been completed.
This was announced by the minister of state for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, after the Rehabilitation Steering Committee Meeting at the Port Harcourt refinery on Thursday.
He said: “Just to announce to Nigerians the fulfilment 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,” Mr Lokpobiri said on Thursday.
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Also at the meeting were, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, Members of the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Group CEO, Mele Kyari.
The Ministers of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri; Ministers of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo; Members of the Board of NNPCL and the Group CEO, Mele Kyari, in Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) Ltd during the Refineries’ Rehabilitation Steering Committee Meeting on Thursday, 21 December 2023. Photo credit: NNPC X handle .
Speaking at the mechanical completion ceremony on Thursday Lokpobiri stated that production of petroleum products at the refinery will begin after the Christmas break.
“This 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 rehabilitating our refineries.
“This is also another landmark of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. Congratulations to NNPC and congratulations to Nigerians,” Lokpobiri said.
The refinery which has two units has a combined capacity of 210,000 barrels per day, (with the old plant having a refining capacity of 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) and the new plant 150,000 bpd).
The Federal Government had earlier promised that the rehabilitation of the facility would be completed by December 2023.
The government had in March 2021 under Muhammadu Buhari administration awarded contract of $1.5 billion for the repair of the refinery following its shutdown in 2019.
There are expectations that the recommencement of operations of the refinery would lead to the availability of more petroleum products domestically and consequently reduce prices of the commodities in Nigeria.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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