In a major step towards resuming operations five years after the plant was shut, NNPC Ltd will complete test runs at the Port Harcourt refinery this month, the company said on Thursday.
“Testing will conclude shortly, ensuring the refinery’s efficient operation. That phase will be completed this month,” NNPC spokesperson Femi Soneye said.
The refinery, which is undergoing an upgrade, will begin by processing 60,000 barrels per day, and NNPC expects to operate at the full capacity of 210,000 barrels per day later this year.
Port Harcourt is among Nigeria’s state-owned refineries that have been mothballed for years, but which the government is trying to revive to end the country’s reliance on imported refined products.
According to Soneye, “Testing will conclude shortly, ensuring the refinery’s efficient operation. That phase will be completed this month.”
The federal government last month announced the mechanical completion and flare start off of the Port Hacourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC).
The Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, who made the announcement said:
“Just to announce to Nigerians the fulfillment of our pledge to bring on stream phase one of the Port Hacourt Refinery by the end of 2023 and the subsequent streaming of phase two in 2024.
“We happily announce the mechanical completion and the flare start-off on December 20, 2023.
“This heralds the commencement of the production of petroleum products after the Christmas break.”
The minister had thanked Nigerians for their patience and the trust on the NNPC Ltd. to deliver on its promise and the mandate of the refinery’s rehabilitation.
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