The Federal Government has reassured Nigerians that the production of petrol and Liquified Natural Gas(LNG) will resume at the Port Harcourt Refinery after Christmas break.
It said the optimism is based on the ‘mechanical completion and flare start-up’ of Phase one of the 210,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited(NNPCL).
The test run of the facility is said to be ongoing.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources(Oil) Heineken Lokpobiri; Minister of State Petroleum Resources(Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo; NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, NNPCL Board Chairman Pius Akinyelure; and Port Harcourt Refinery Managing Director Ibrahim Onoja, made this known during a media tour of the refinery in Eleme, Rivers State.
The tour coincided with the 15th Rehabilitation SteerCo meeting.
Lokpobiri told reporters that with the Phase One now ready, efforts would be geared towards the completion of the Phase Two of the facility in the last quarter of next year.
He said: “The mechanical part is completed and this is the beginning of the completion of not just this Port Harcourt Refinery phase one and two, but the one for Warri, and then the one in Kaduna, so that we would be able to benefit from this massive investment that the country has made.”
Also, Ekpo said with the commencement of petrol production after Christmas, there will be more LPG(cooking gas) supply to the Nigerian market.
He added: “The good news equally to LPG users that as the refinery commences after Christmas, we will have sufficient supply of LPG which will reduce the import at that level.”
NNPCL boss Kyari explained that the refinery pumps had been rehabilitated to allow the circulation of crude within the facility.
He said: “It is just to thank the team for doing great work and for keeping the promise we made to over 200 million Nigerians, and we know that this is a promise we can keep.
“We have a competent contractor and subcontractors. Our staff members are extremely determined to deliver on this project, and today, it is a promise fulfilled. Phase Two will be completed in the last quarter of 2024..
“We know all the scepticism that is in the public space but today has shown that we can fulfill commitments. NNPC is here to deliver value and we will get things done going forward.
“We have done a great deal of work to get the refinery to work. Our team has been working 24 hours a day and we are happy with the results we have today.”
