The Port Harcourt Refinery(PHRC) has not yet officially commenced operations despite the completion of its overhaul for petroleum production. This delay is to “avoid a situation where the refinery produces for a few months and shuts down for repairs again.”
According to insiders from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, “wants to ensure that everything at the Port Harcourt Refinery works at maximum capacity before commencing full operations.”
These details were revealed during a media parley in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, where journalists from various print and digital outlets gathered to discuss pressing matters in the oil and gas sector.
One of the event’s conveners, Solomon Oseagah, noted that “the Port-Harcourt Refinery is already producing and will be commissioned before the end of the year.”
Regarding the delays, Oseagah clarified that they are “not due to technical unpreparedness but rather NNPCL’s commitment to ensuring the refinery operates at maximum capacity before its public launch.”
“Once the remaining issues are resolved, President Bola Tinubu will commission the facility, which is already in production and expected to be officially inaugurated by year-end,” he added.
Oseagah also affirmed that the challenges related to the availability of petroleum products and delays across the nation’s refineries “are being tackled head-on by the NNPCL.”
“All the setbacks are diligently addressed to avoid a situation where the refinery produces for a few months and shuts down for repairs again,” he reiterated.
He further emphasised the importance of journalists conducting thorough fact-checking and maintaining objectivity when reporting on the corporation’s activities.
On the ongoing controversies between NNPCL and the Dangote Refinery, Oseagah defended NNPCL’s position, stating that the corporation’s actions are “aimed at ensuring the proper functioning of the Nigerian petroleum industry for the benefit of all Nigerians.”
He maintained that “NNPCL has no pricing authority over Dangote Refinery,” adding that “market forces determine prices under the deregulated system.”
According to him, “NNPCL is committed to maintaining industry integrity and performance and has no issues whatsoever with Dangote Refinery, but it will not be the one to fix the prices for Dangote as the market has been deregulated.”
The media parley also underscored the need for greater transparency within NNPCL, with Kyari being urged to “facilitate clearer communication by allowing representatives from other companies and agencies under the NNPCL umbrella to engage directly with the public through the media.”
Participants noted that allowing other companies under NNPCL to interact directly with the media “would improve public understanding of the various roles and responsibilities within the petroleum sector, fostering accountability and collaboration among all stakeholders.”
