Port Harcourt Refinery Commences Operation July

Port Harcourt Refinery Commences Operation July

The 210,000-barrel-per-day Port-Harcourt refinery might lastly begin operations by the top of July after a number of postponements.

The brand new date was disclosed on Monday by the Nationwide Public Relations Officer, Unbiased Entrepreneurs Affiliation of Nigeria (IPMAN), Chief Ukadike Chinedu.

He acknowledged that the event would stimulate financial actions, scale back the worth of petroleum merchandise and guarantee sufficient provide.

Final yr in December, the Minister of State for Petroleum Assets, Heineken Lokpobiri, introduced the mechanical completion and flare start-off of the largest crude refinery in Port Harcourt.

The refineries comprise two models, with the previous plant having a refined capability of 60,000 barrels per day and the brand new plant has 150,000 BPD.

The refinery shut down in March 2019 for the primary section of restore works after the federal government secured the service of a technical adviser of Itay’s Maire Tecnimont to deal with the opinions of the refinery complicated, with oil main Eni appointed technical adviser.

On March 15, 2024, it was reported that the Group Chief Government Officer of NNPC Restricted, Mele Kyari, acknowledged that the Port Harcourt refinery would begin operations in about two weeks.

The NNPC boss disclosed this throughout a press briefing after he appeared earlier than the Senate Advert hoc committee investigating the assorted turnaround upkeep initiatives of the nation’s refineries.

He mentioned, “We did a mechanical completion of the refinery that was what we mentioned in December. We now have crude oil already stocked within the refinery. We’re doing regulatory compliance exams that should occur in each refinery earlier than you begin it, and I guarantee you that this Port Harcourt refinery will begin in two weeks.”

Nevertheless, the equipment had but to start operations two months after he made the promise.

In an unique interview on Monday, the IPMAN official acknowledged that the work accomplished represented an entire turnaround, not simply rehabilitation, emphasising that each effort can be made to satisfy the July deadline.

Ukadike mentioned, “Sure once we visited the place, the MD advised us that the refinery was virtually prepared and by the top of July, they might begin producing. It has been become a brand new one they modified all of the armoured cable to model new and every thing there may be virtually like a brand-new refinery.

“The turnaround on upkeep may be very large and the job is being accomplished day and evening. All arms are on deck to ensure that they meet that focus on. By ending of July the refinery ought to be prepared.”

When reminded of a number of guarantees by the federal government to kick begin the challenge, Ukadike replied, “Sure, there have been delays however they didn’t inform us any cause for the delay of the final deadline given in April.

“They don’t seem to be going through any challenges in any respect; I can say the refinery is 99 per cent prepared.

“What we would like is competitors. I’m very positive that with the 2 refineries, the worth of petrol can be decreased. Dangote is coming quickly and the Port Harcourt refinery is sort of prepared too and that is excellent. We’d like that competitors for the good thing about the nation.”

The brand new timeline coincides with a proposal by the Dangote Refinery to begin petrol manufacturing by ending of subsequent month (June).

The Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, whereas talking on the Africa CEO discussion board annual summit in Kigali, assured Nigerians that following the laid-down plans of the Dangote Refinery, Nigeria would not must import petrol beginning subsequent month.

Based on him, the refinery can meet West Africa’s petrol and diesel wants, in addition to the continent’s aviation gasoline demand.

With a median month-to-month consumption of 1 billion litres, Nigeria presently spends roughly N520bn on the importation of PMS each month.

This implies the federal government might lower roughly N6.2tn yearly import invoice.

Commenting, the NNPCL Chief Company Communications Officer, Femi Soneye, mentioned regulatory approvals from worldwide our bodies have been the one obstacle stalling the operational graduation of the refinery.

Soneye in an unique interview with our correspondent on Monday reiterated that mechanical completion had been achieved, and all pipes have been working flawlessly, transporting crude oil provided by Shell.

He mentioned, “We’ve mentioned that the mechanical completion has been accomplished and each different factor is finished. There may be crude oil and all of the pipes are working; we’re solely ready for regulatory approvals. Like I mentioned, a few of our supplies and the issues we use should do with nuclear and we want the nuclear authorities to provide us approval to make use of all these issues on the web site.

“And a few of these approvals come from our bodies exterior of Nigeria. Till they provide us these approvals, we are able to’t start operations. We’re able to go but when one thing occurs with out it, which might be one other problem. All the pieces has been accomplished by way of our work, and as soon as we get these approvals, it should begin operations.”