The Federal Government yesterday reassured Nigerians that the production of petrol and Liquified Natural Gas(LNG) will resume at the Port Harcourt Refinery after Christmas break.
It 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).
The test run of the facility is said to be ongoing.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources(Oil) Heineken Lokpobiri; Minister of State Petroleum Resources(Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo; NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, NNPCL Board Chairman Pius Akinyelure; and Port Harcourt Refinery Managing Director Ibrahim Onoja, made this known during a media tour of the refinery in Eleme, Rivers State.
The tour coincided with the 15th Rehabilitation SteerCo meeting.
Lokpobiri told reporters that with the Phase One now ready, efforts would be geared towards the completion of the Phase Two of the facility in the last quarter of next year.
He said,
“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 the one for Warri, and then the one in Kaduna, so that we would be able to benefit from this massive investment that the country has made.”
Also, Ekpo said with the commencement of petrol production after Christmas, there will be more LPG(cooking gas) supply to the Nigerian market.
He added,
“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.”
NNPCL boss Kyari explained that the refinery pumps had been rehabilitated to allow the circulation of crude within the facility.
He said,
“It is just to thank the team for doing great work and for keeping the promise we made to over 200 million Nigerians, and we know that this is a promise we can keep.
“We have a competent contractor and subcontractors. Our staff members are extremely determined to deliver on this project, and today, it is a promise fulfilled. Phase Two will be completed in the last quarter of 2024..
“We know all the scepticism that is in the public space but today has shown that we can fulfill commitments. NNPC is here to deliver value and we will get things done going forward.
“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.”
NNPCL Board Chairman Akinyelure, who described the completion of Phase 0ne as “historic,” said he promised President Bola Tinubu that the refinery would be ready by the end of this year
He said,
“I am here this morning to witness this historic ceremony on the mechanical completion of the Port Harcourt Refinery. We are proud of the staff and entire management of the refinery. We will be at the highest level of production, and if possible export part of our production.
“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.”
Onoja also said the mechanical completion of the refinery was historic in that it would help buoy the nation’s economy.
He said,
“Today is a very happy day for me. 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.”
