On Thursday, the Federal Government officially confirmed the initiation of operations at the Port Harcourt Refining and Petrochemical Company in Rivers State. The facility, having completed its first phase of work, commenced operations on December 20, 2023. It was announced that the refined petroleum products would start flowing from the refinery after the Christmas break.
Throughout the year, the government consistently assured the public that the Port Harcourt refinery would be operational before the close of 2023. Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), led members of the Refinery Steering Committee in inspecting the facility. During the visit, he extended congratulations to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and the entire nation for this achievement.
Nigeria’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri had remained inactive for decades, prompting the Federal Government to invest significant funds in their revamp. Lokpobiri, addressing the event, remarked, “The meeting today coincides with the commencement of operations at the Port Harcourt refinery.” He continued, “This is to announce to Nigerians that in fulfillment of our pledge to complete phase one of the Port Harcourt refinery by the end of 2023, and the subsequent streaming of phase two in 2024, we happily announce the mechanical completion of flare start-up on December 20, 2023. This heralds the commencement of the production of petroleum products after the Christmas break. We want to thank Nigerians for their patience and trust in the NNPC to deliver on our promise and mandate in the rehabilitation of our refineries.”
Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, also expressed gratitude, highlighting the dedicated efforts of the company’s employees who worked tirelessly for over 9.6 million man-hours to bring the refinery back into operation.
