Date Production Of Petroleum Products Will Commence At Port Harcourt Refinery Revealed

Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), has declared the successful conclusion of phase 1 in the restoration of the Port Harcourt Refinery in Rivers State, indicating the initiation of petroleum refining.

He highlighted that the production of petroleum products is set to commence following the Christmas break.

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The minister made this announcement at the 15th Refineries Rehabilitation Steering Committee meeting held in Port Harcourt, coinciding with the recent completion of mechanical repairs for the Port Harcourt Refinery.

Present at the meeting were notable figures including Mallam Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, NNPCL’s Executive Vice President, Upstream, and Chief Pius Akinyelure, the NNPCL Board Chairman.

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Lokpobiri stated, “This is just to announce to Nigerians that in fulfilment of our pledge to bring on stream phase 1 of the PH refinery by the end of 2023 and the subsequent streaming of phase 2 in 2024, we heartily announce the mechanical completion and flare up of the refinery on the 20th of December 2023.

“This heralds the commencement of production of petroleum products after the Christmas break.

“We want to thank Nigerians for their patience and trust in the NNPCL to deliver on our promise and mandate for the rehabilitation of our refineries.”

Also speaking at the briefing, the NNPCL board chairman stated, “We made a promise that the refinery will be on before the end of the year. We are here to witness this historic event. We are proud of the staff and the entire management of the refinery.

“We are just starting. We want to attain the highest level of production to keep the price of petroleum stable in our country.”

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The CEO of NNPCL Group reiterated the company’s commitment to ensuring the comprehensive completion of the refinery.

Originally commissioned in 1965 with a capacity of 35,000 BPSD, the Old Port Harcourt Refinery (OPHR) saw an increase to its current capacity of 60,000 BPSD following de-bottlenecking in 1972. The New Port Harcourt Refinery (NPHR), commissioned in March 1989, possesses a capacity of 150,000 BPSD.

Despite various attempts over the years to revive the refinery, none proved successful until the ongoing initiative by NNPCL.

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