ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has announced that the ongoing rehabilitation of the new 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) has surpassed 90 percent completion.
This update was disclosed by the Group Executive, Vice President, Downstream, Isiyaku Abdullahi, during a visit to the refinery on Monday by leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Rivers State.
The milestone comes just weeks after the older 60,000bpd unit at the Port Harcourt refinery resumed operations, marking significant progress in Nigeria’s push for energy self-sufficiency.
It is worth noting that the PHRC officially restarted operations on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, following several delays in its planned reopening by its operators, NNPCL.
The recently rehabilitated Port Harcourt refinery has begun exporting refined petroleum products, with its first shipment of low-sulphur straight-run fuel oil sold to Dubai-based Gulf Transport and Trading Limited.
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Although the refinery currently limits its supply to its retail stations, the NNPCL Group Executive Vice President, Downstream, expressed confidence that the upgraded 150,000 barrels per day facility will address fuel shortages and position Nigeria as a net exporter of refined petroleum products.
During a tour of the facility with trade union leaders, the NNPCL executive revealed that the contractor’s latest report indicated that over 90 percent of the rehabilitation work has been completed.
However, no specific date was provided for the facility’s full commencement of operations. Speaking further, he said “This asset is under rehabilitation or an upgrade. There is an established process so that when the rehabilitation is completed, it will start running and it’s a state of art compared to any refinery in the world.
“From the contractors’ view, and from the report they sent to us, the refinery is over 90 per cent completed and will be finished as soon as possible. We are following through and ensuring that we get value for money. And then we can combine 60,000 barrels making it a total of 210,000 barrels. This would support our refining processes and products with the multiple effects that we would get from refining products. And then we can have sufficient products and then export them to other countries.”
On his part, the refinery’s Managing Director, Ibrahim Onoja, showed the fact-finding team the plant.
“This is the new Port Harcourt refinery, a 150,000 barrels per day plant commissioned in 1989. The rehabilitation work is ongoing in this new Port Harcourt refinery at the same time we were working on the old Port Harcourt refinery. The old one is completed and the plant is running. You can see the new Port Harcourt refinery is at an advanced stage but importantly size matters.”