The Port Harcourt Refining Company is currently progressing through various licensing procedures after crude supply was initiated at the plant following its mechanical completion in December 2023.
According to The PUNCH, Senior officials from the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited disclosed this development recently.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Oil, Heineken Lokpobiri, reiterated that the refinery is in its final stages of rehabilitation.
“The mechanical work at the Port Harcourt refinery has been completed. Crude oil has been delivered to the plant. We are now awaiting licensing processes, which are being overseen by officials who are meticulously inspecting the facility,” a ministry official stated.
Earlier in March, NNPC’s Group CEO, Mele Kyari, announced that the refinery had received 450,000 barrels of crude oil and was set to commence operations in April, a timeline that did not materialize.
“We completed the mechanical rehabilitation of the refinery in December, and crude oil is now stocked. We are currently conducting regulatory compliance tests, a necessary step before operational commencement,” Kyari explained.
He added, “Similar mechanical work has been completed at the Warri refinery, which is also undergoing regulatory compliance processes. Kaduna refinery is slated for completion by December.”
Minister Lokpobiri defended the ongoing work at the Port Harcourt refinery, citing the operational timeline of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery as a precedent.
“It took time for Dangote refinery to begin product releases after its inauguration. Similarly, Port Harcourt refinery is undergoing final rehabilitation stages, which require meticulous attention to ensure operational readiness,” Lokpobiri emphasized.
He assured Nigerians of the government’s commitment to supporting the refinery’s operational start-up, underscoring its potential positive impact on the national economy.
