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Amid mounting anticipation, the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm (NNPC) Restricted faces ongoing challenges in finishing the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery. Regardless of federal backing and a $1.5 billion allocation since 2021, the refinery has but to renew manufacturing, insiders revealed to The Bureau Newspaper.
The Port Harcourt Refining Firm (PHRC) operates two key amenities—a 60,000-barrels-per-stream-day (bpsd) plant and a more moderen 150,000-bpsd unit—giving it a complete crude processing capability of 210,000 bpsd. Though the NNPC has repeatedly assured the general public of an imminent revival, insiders report vital technical setbacks, together with aged infrastructure, corroded elements, and gaps in important historic information.
A Sequence of Unmet Targets
The NNPC initiated repairs on Could 6, 2021, however a number of deadlines have handed with out success. Following failed supply targets final December, Minister of State for Petroleum Sources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, promised a post-Christmas launch. Equally, in March 2024, NNPC’s Group CEO, Mele Kyari, assured the nation of manufacturing by month’s finish. As lately as August, Kyari set one other begin date, but the refinery has remained idle.
‘Exploring Options’
With continued delays, NNPC is contemplating varied choices to repurpose the ability. One method outlined in inner paperwork entails retrofitting the plant to perform as an oil mixing facility, which might convert processed oil into market-ready lubricants. Nonetheless, NNPC has denied this plan, sustaining its dedication to finish repairs, fee the refinery, and restore full processing capability.
Regardless of official statements, the refinery stays below restore, and stakeholders proceed to await actual progress on certainly one of Nigeria’s oldest refineries.
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