The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) has said that the Port Harcourt refinery’s test runs, with a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day (bpd), are set to conclude this month.
Mr. Femi Soneye, the spokesperson for NNPC, emphasized that the testing phase is a significant milestone, marking a step towards resuming operations after a five-year shutdown.
According to Soneye, the state-owned oil company had earlier announced the mechanical completion of rehabilitation work on the Area-5 Plant in December.
The completion of the first phase of the plant was confirmed, and it is anticipated that the facility will commence refining 60,000 barrels of crude oil daily following the Christmas break.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, provided additional details, stating that the first phase of the Port Harcourt Refinery Complex (PHRC) was finalized on December 20, 2023. Refined product production is expected to kick off post-Yuletide.
Once operational, alongside the anticipated commencement of oil refining at the Dangote Refinery later this year, these facilities are poised to alleviate the strain on the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
This development aligns with the Nigerian government’s efforts to enhance domestic refining capacity and reduce dependency on imported petroleum products.
