Work at the Port Harcourt Refining Company’s second 150,000 barrels per day plant in Rivers State is now underway, and the Presidency has promised that it will soon be operational.
PHRC features two refineries: a 150,000 bpd plant and a 60,000 bpd facility.
In his statement titled “Putting to Rest Rumors about Port Harcourt Refinery Complex: Our Fact-Finding Mission,” Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, urged Nigerians to disregard unfavorable discussions regarding the recently restored historic Port Harcourt 60, 000 barrels per day refinery.
He said that although the refinery is not operating at full capacity right now, it is operating at 70% installed capacity and has plans to boost production soon.
“On Wednesday, I was a member of a fact-finding team that went to the Port Harcourt Refining Complex, which produces 60,000 barrels per day. I’ll now present our results.
Our goal was to confirm the rumors that were going around regarding the refinery’s condition, and I’m happy to say that we were happy with what we observed.
“Under the direction of Ibrahim Onoja, Managing Director of the refinery, our team explored the entire complex, including the loading bay, computerized control room, and all areas in between.
“We asked pointed questions and received satisfactory answers, dispelling our doubts and misconceptions. Nigerians must ignore naysayers and false information about the refinery’s operations.
Although it isn’t operating at full capacity right now, it is operating at 70% installed capacity, and there are plans to boost production soon. In addition, despite assertions that it does not have enough crude to refine, the refinery regularly receives supply of petroleum.
We verified during our tour that the refinery manufactures gasoline, diesel, LPG, kerosene, and low-pour fuel oil, among other petroleum products.
The latter is combined with additional ingredients to create the gasoline that we use in our vehicles. We even put product samples to the test. The refinery is now a contemporary establishment thanks to a recent renovation.
“We saw upgraded and replaced parts, including part of the 300km new pipelines. Some parts the company had not changed in 27 years have been replaced with new ones, bringing the refinery up to 21st-century standards.
“The revamping work has indeed brought the refinery back to life. What was once a 20th-century refinery has been transformed into a state-of-the-art facility.
“We also visited the co-located second Port Harcourt refinery, commissioned in 1989. Workers were busy dismantling old, rusty parts and replacing them with new ones.
“Although officials declined to provide a timeline for its completion, there was an air of confidence that it would soon be operational, joining its 60,000 barrels a day counterpart. My curiosity has been satisfied.
“I commend NNPC Limited and the refinery team for reviving this dead asset, which was on the verge of becoming a museum piece. Our fact-finding mission has buried the various doubts and lies about the Port Harcourt Refinery Complex.”
The update and clarification follow the controversy surrounding the revival of the 60, 000 barrels per day old Port Harcourt refinery.
Last month, Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), announced that the new refinery would be operational by the middle of 2025.
