The Minister of State Petroleum ( Oil) Senator Heneiken Lokpobiri says the Port Harcourt refinery will resume operations by December 2023.
Lokpobiri said this in Port Harcourt on Friday, during an inspection tour of the rehabilitation work at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) Limited plant.
The Minister in the company of the Minister of state for Petroleum resources ( Gas) Ekperipe Ekpo .assured that the refinery will begin production by December as a result of the progress of work done to resuscitate it.
Spokesperson for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited NNPCL,Garba Deen who made this known In a statement quoted the minister as saying;
“From what we have seen here today, Port Harcourt Refinery will come on board by the end of the year, Warri will come on stream by the end of the first quarter of next year, and Kaduna will also come on board towards the end of next year,”
“If you add that to the Dangote Refinery, we will be able to stop fuel importation, and Nigerians will enjoy the full benefits of deregulation,”
While expressing satisfaction with the ongoing rehabilitation work at the Port Harcourt refinery., the minister said that once all the refineries become operational, Nigerians will benefit from a better supply of petroleum products and domesticated foreign exchange, which will boost the country’s economy.
On his part, Ekperikpe Ekpo, said petrol is very vital to Nigeria’s economy.hence all hands must be on deck to ensure that the refineries are functional.
Also Speaking, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPC, Mele Kyari said the company is not sleeping on its oars as it takes the turn around of the refineries very seriously adding that by next year, Nigeria will become a key exporter of Petroleum products .
“We are aware of our nation’s challenges in terms of fuel supply. But we are not here to give excuses. We are focused on delivering this rehabilitation project, our two other refineries, and all other investments towards revamping the nation’s refining capacity,”
So far,rehabilitation of refineries in the country has gulped N11.35 trillion in 13 years,according to reports by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc committee on the state of our refineries from 2010- 2023.
The immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum resources, Timipre Sylva assured in September 2022, that the old Port Harcourt refinery would become functional by the end of last year.
In January, he said the rehabilitation work on the plant was being completed and it would commence production by the first quarter of 2023.
Again,in March 2023, Sylva said the refinery would commence operations before the end of the second quarter of 2023..
