The Federal Government on Thursday announced that the production of petrol and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) will commenced at the Port Harcourt Refinery after Christmas break.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who announced this said the optimism is based on the ‘mechanical completion and flare start-up’ of Phase one of the 210,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), adding that the test run of the facility is ongoing.
This followed a media tour of the refinery in Eleme, Rivers State by Lokpobiri, his counterpart in the Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, the NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mele Kyari, NNPCL Board Chairman, Mr. Pius Akinyelure and the Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refinery, Mr. Ibrahim Onoja.
The media tour of the refinery coincided with the 15th Rehabilitation SteerCo meeting, during which Lokpobiri said that the Phase One of the repairs was ready, adding that efforts would be geared towards the completion of the Phase Two of the facility in the last quarter of 2024.
In the words of Lokpobiri; “The mechanical part is completed and this is the beginning of the completion of not just this Port Harcourt Refinery Phase One and Two, but that for Warri and then Kaduna. So that we would be able to benefit from this massive investment that the country has made”.
In his own remarks, the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas), Ekpo said that with the commencement of petrol production after Christmas, there will be more LPG (cooking gas) supply to the Nigerian market.
According to him; “The good news equally to LPG users that as the refinery commences after Christmas, we will have sufficient supply of LPG which will reduce the import at that level.”
Speaking in turn, the NNPCL Chief Executive, Mr. Mele Kyari said that the refinery pumps had been rehabilitated to allow the circulation of crude within the facility.
Kyari said that the NNPCL was conscious of the scepticisms in the public space, adding however that the Company has deliver value and will get things done going forward.
Kyari further said; “We have done a great deal of work to get the refinery to work. Our team has been working 24 hours a day and we are happy with the results we have today.”
Also speaking, the NNPCL Board Chairman, Akinyelure described the completion of Phase 0ne as “historic,” and in keeping with the promise of President Bola Tinubu that the refinery would be ready by the end of this year
Akinyelure said; “Doubts had been expressed by several Nigerians about the ability of NNPCL to make this facility available to support the distribution of fuel in the country. But today, I see them happy.”
In his own remarks, the Managing Director of PH Refinery, Mr. Onoja said the mechanical completion of the refinery was historic in that it would help buoy the nation’s economy.
In his words; “I was part of the story from the beginning. We had a Presidential directive to get the refinery working. The NNPCL Group CEO asked us to give him an unassailable process that will not fail.
“We set governance in process and got the best team to do the work. We created a transparent project. We have 118 pumps in this first phase, the columns were filled and it will produce 60,000 barrels per day. It will create jobs and earn forex for the country.”
The Port Harcourt refinery comprised of two units with the old plant having a refining capacity of 60,000 bpd and the new plant 150,000 bpd.
