The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has announced that the Port Harcourt refinery will start refining crude oil by early August.
Addressing an emergency session at the National Assembly’s joint committee on finance, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mr. Mele Kyari, confirmed this development on Monday. He also mentioned that the Kaduna refinery is expected to commence operations by December 2024.
Kyari, who had previously set a March 2024 date for the Port Harcourt refinery’s production start, reiterated the August timeline, emphasizing his commitment to the new date.
He highlighted that, along with the Dangote refinery, Nigeria aims to reach a production capacity of two million barrels per day and become a net exporter of petroleum products by December.
Senior officials from the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and NNPCL revealed that the Port Harcourt facility is currently undergoing various licensing processes. The plant received its crude oil supply after the completion of its mechanical works in December 2023.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, confirmed that the refinery is in its final rehabilitation stage. He noted, “The mechanical work at the Port Harcourt refinery has been completed, and crude oil has been sent to the plant. The current focus is on obtaining the necessary licenses, which are issued based on specific time-frames.”
The refinery’s operational readiness marks a significant step in Nigeria’s efforts to boost its refining capacity and reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.
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