The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has announced that the new Port Harcourt refinery rehabilitation project is over 90% complete.
The Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) operates two facilities: an older plant with a capacity of 60,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd) and a newer one with a capacity of 150,000 bpsd, combining for a total crude processing capacity of 210,000 bpsd.
NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, represented by Executive Vice-President (Downstream), Isiyaku Abdullahi, made this known during a visit by leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to the facility in Rivers State.
Kyari assured that the rehabilitation would modernize the refinery to meet global standards. “When completed, it will be a state-of-the-art facility comparable to any refinery worldwide, with full compliance to health and safety standards,” he said.
The main contractor, Tecnimont SPA, has reported significant progress, achieving over 90% completion. Kyari added, “We are ensuring value delivery, aiming to achieve the combined capacity of 210,000 bpsd. This will bolster refining processes, enhance the production of finished products, and support both local consumption and exports of petroleum products, especially petrol.”
Operational Excellence and Future Goals
Kyari highlighted that an established and professional operations and maintenance (O&M) team is in place to ensure the facility operates efficiently post-rehabilitation. “The process includes replacing aging components, upgrading assets, and maintaining the refinery’s functionality,” he explained.
The NNPCL also plans to collaborate with the best O&M teams globally to sustain world-class standards. “We are scaling up monitoring efforts to ensure compliance with international best practices,” Kyari concluded.
The project is a crucial step toward achieving energy sufficiency and reducing reliance on imports, with the aim of driving Nigeria’s petroleum product market towards greater efficiency and self-reliance.
