Expectation Cut Short As Expert Reveals Why Port Harcourt Refinery Can’t Start Regular Operation After Christmas

Expectation Cut Short As Expert Reveals Why Port Harcourt Refinery Can’t Start Regular Operation After Christmas

John Erinne, an energy consultant and former president of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, has expressed skepticism regarding the Port Harcourt Refinery’s prompt return to regular operation after Christmas.

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Despite the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, announcing the completion of the refinery’s rehabilitation and the intention to resume petroleum production after Christmas, Erinne, in an interview on Channels TV on Friday, cast doubt on the immediate operational readiness.

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Erinne elaborated that the commissioning process is intricate and time-consuming. He emphasized that the thorough testing and verification of every piece of equipment to ensure its functionality as designed could extend up to three months.

He said, “Commissioning means that you have completed the facility now you want to take it through the process of being able to perform the tasks you have designed and constructed it for.

“So you have to go through a gradual process of tasting, verifying, checking, ensuring every piece of equipment, every item that is installed is doing what is expected to do and that ultimately what you are going to get at the end of the process is what it is expected to be.

“Commissioning again broadly can be in two phases. You have pre-commissioning checks and the final commissioning, and process like that could take a couple of months. It is not likely to take days, it could take a month, two months perhaps up to three months.

“From the government announcement I can say that the refinery is ready for commissioning not necessarily ready to start regular operations.

“I can say for certain that we can not expect to see regular products from Port Harcourt refinery until sometime in the first quarter of next year, that would be correct.”

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