Port Harcourt Refinery commences operations in two weeks, says Mele Kyari

The Port Harcourt Refinery will start operations in the next two weeks, the Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mr Mele Kyari, has said.

The NNPCL boss also revealed that the Kaduna Refinery will resume operations by December 2024.

Mr Kyari gave the information while appearing before the Senate Ad-hoc Committee investigating the Nigerian Refineries’ Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) Projects.

He stated that after the mechanical work on the Port Harcourt refinery was done last year, the next phase involves testing the refinery, adding that over 450,000 barrels of crude are in store for this process.

He stated: “We did a mechanical completion of the refinery that was what we said in December. We now have crude oil already stocked in the refinery. We are doing a regulatory compliance test that must happen in every refinery before you start it, and I assure you that this Port Harcourt refinery will start in the next two weeks.

“Completing the mechanical work means that you are done with the rehabilitation work, now you have to test to see how it works. Of course, we have also completed the mechanical work on the Warri refinery. It is also undergoing regulatory compliance; processes that we are doing with our regulator, this will soon be completed and be ready,” Mr Kyari promised.

Mr Kyari also assured the Kaduna Refinery would become operational by the end of the year.

“Kaduna refinery will be ready by December. We have not reached that stage in Kaduna, but we promise Kaduna will be delivered by December.

According to him, “all the crude lines supplying crude to Port Harcourt and Warri are very active,” assuring that the promises made on the refineries will be kept.