The Port Harcourt Refining and Petrochemical Company in Rivers State is slated to commence production of petroleum products after Christmas.
The minister of state for petroleum resources (oil), Mr Heineken Lokpobiri, announced this yesterday at the refinery complex during a meeting and tour of the complex by the presidential refinery rehabilitation steering committee.
The announcement came nearly three years after the federal government awarded a $1.5 billion contract to Tecnimont SPA for the rehabilitation of the refinery.
The minister stated that the facility commenced operations on December 20, 2023, as the first phase of work at the plant had been completed, adding that refined petroleum products would start flowing from the refinery after the Christmas break.
Lokpobiri who congratulated the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited for the feat and Nigerians in general for the feat declared: “This is to announce to Nigerians that in fulfillment of our pledge to complete phase one of the Port Harcourt refinery by the end of 2023, and the subsequent streaming of phase two in 2024, we happily announce the mechanical completion of flare start-up on December 20, 2023.
“This heralds the commencement of the production of petroleum products after the Christmas break. We want to thank Nigerians for their patience and trust in the NNPC to deliver on our promise and mandate in the rehabilitation of our refineries.”
Lokpobiri also disclosed that the streaming of the phase two of the refinery will begin in 2024.
Some of the government officials present during the announcement were the minister of state for petroleum resources (gas), Mr Ekperikpe Ekpo; chairman of the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Mr Pius Akinyelure; group chief executive officer of NNPC, Mr Mele Kyari; NNPC’s executive vice president (upstream), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan; and her counterpart at the downstream, Mr. Adedapo Segun.
