The Port Harcourt Refinery in Rivers State has recommenced operation in line with the Federal Government’s pledge to ensure the production of refined products at the facility in December 2023.
The development came after many years of poor performance and turnaround maintenance of the facility. Four of the country’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna have a combined capacity to process 445,000 barrels per day (bpd). Meanwhile, they were shut down in 2019.
In August, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, revealed that the refinery would recommence operations in December.
Lokpobiri revealed this during an inspection tour of the rehabilitation work progress at the PHRC Ltd. Plant
He said: “Our objective in coming here today is to ensure that in the next few years, Nigeria stops fuel importation. From what we have seen here today, Port Harcourt Refinery will come on board by the end of the year,” he said during the visit.
The recommencement of operations at the Port Harcourt refinery happened over two years after the Federal Government approved funding of $1.5 billion (1.2 billion euros) to repair one of its biggest refineries.
The government selected an Italian firm Maire Tecnimont to carry out the repair work at the Port Harcourt facility which possesses a capacity of 210,000 bpd.
Hopefully, the resumption of refinery activity in the facility and the start of a similar exercise at the Dangote Refinery will increase the supply of fuel in Africa’s biggest oil producer and allow the country to make savings on refined fuel and other petroleum products.
Also the move is expected to impact on the cost of the product.
