The Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, has successfully delivered on its commitment to rehabilitate the Port Harcourt Refining Company, PHRC, with the achievement of mechanical completion and flare start-up of the refinery’s Area 5 Plant. This significant milestone comes after over two years of ongoing rehabilitation work and a promise by NNPC to complete Phase One of the project by December 31, 2023.
Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, expressed satisfaction with the project’s progress, confirming that 84.4% of the Area 5 Plant and 77.4% of the entire rehabilitation project have been completed as of December 15, 2023. Kyari emphasized NNPC’s dedication to re-stream the refinery to continue delivering value to the people of Nigeria. He lauded the efforts of NNPC’s staff and the EPCIC contractors for their contribution to reaching this significant milestone.
Pius Akinyelure, the Chairman of NNPC’s Board, hailed the achievement as “historic” and expressed the board’s pride in the refinery’s staff and management. He also underlined the ambition to elevate production levels to stabilize petroleum prices within the country and generate more revenue for Nigeria.
The Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, acknowledged the milestone as a testament to the government’s commitment to restoring hope. He thanked the Nigerian populace for their patience and trust in NNPC’s capability to accomplish this extensive project.
Ekperikpe Ekpo, the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas), emphasized the positive impact of re-streaming the refinery on the nation’s Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) industry, highlighting LPG as a major by-product of the refinery and integral to the country’s energy landscape.
Fabio Del Cioppo, the Managing Director of Tecnimont Nig. Ltd., one of the EPC contractors, reiterated his firm’s commitment to fulfilling the terms of the contract. The PHRC rehabilitation project, amounting to approximately $1.5 billion, operates under an EPCIC framework covering Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation, and Commissioning phases. Notably, the achievement was made with an excellent Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) record, registering over 9.5 million manhours with zero Loss Time Injury (LTI).
The successful rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery marks a pivotal moment for Nigeria’s energy sector and underscores NNPC’s dedication to enhancing the country’s refining capacity and energy security.
