Nigeria: NNPC Successfully Concludes Rehabilitation on Port Harcourt Refinery
By Ahmad Hadizat Omayoza, Mamos Nigeria
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, Ltd., has announced the successful mechanical completion of rehabilitation work on the Area 5 Plant of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC). This milestone follows over two years of ongoing rehabilitation efforts at the refinery.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Mr. Mele Kyari, disclosed during an inspection tour that as of December 15, 84.4% of the Area 5 Plant and 77.4% of the entire rehabilitation project had been completed. This progress aligns with the NNPC’s commitment to finishing Phase One of the project, including mechanical completion and flare start-up, by December 31, 2023.
Mr. Kyari commended the staff and contractors for their dedication, emphasizing the importance of the refinery in delivering value to Nigerians. He stated, “In our quest to ensure that this refinery is re-streamed to continue to deliver value to Nigerians, we made a promise that we will reach a mechanical completion of phase one of the rehabilitation project by the end of December and get the other plants running in 2024. Today, we have kept those commitments.”
The Chairman of the NNPC Board, Chief Pius Akinyelure, expressed pride in the staff and management of the refinery, calling the milestone “historic.” He emphasized the board’s aspiration to achieve the highest level of production to stabilize petroleum prices and generate more revenue for the country.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, hailed the achievement as a landmark in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda. He thanked Nigerians for their patience and trust in NNPC Ltd.’s ability to deliver on this substantial project.
Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, highlighted the positive impact on the nation’s Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) industry, as LPG is a major by-product of the refinery. He noted that re-streaming the refinery would bring positive outcomes for the LPG sector.
The Managing Director of Tecnimont Nig. Ltd., Fabio Del Cioppo, assured the company’s commitment to fulfilling the terms of the contract. The PHRC rehabilitation, costing approximately $1.5 billion, covers engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning phases.
This achievement, attained with an excellent Health, Safety, and Environment record, sets the stage for increased production capacity and economic growth. As the test run progresses, and if certified fit, production at the Port Harcourt Refinery is anticipated.
