Nigeria to begin partial operation of Port Harcourt Refinery in 2022

Nigeria is set to commence partial operation of Port Harcourt Refinery Complex in September 2022. Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) announced that rehabilitation works on the complex is on track.

Kennie Obateru, the company’s Public Affairs Division Group General Manager said that the entire rehabilitation program would be over in 44 months as announced earlier. Federal Executive Council (FEC) awarded Tecnimont SPA, a contract to carry out the works.

“As we said earlier, the rehabilitation works will be completed within 44 months from April this year, when the contract was awarded. But, by the time we reach the 18 months mark, a section of the refinery will be operational. The total rehabilitation job, which would allow the facility to reach its full capacity, will be completed in 44 months,” said Mr. Obateru.

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Port Harcourt

Port Harcourt was commissioned in 1965 to process 60,000 barrels of oil per stream day (bpsd). The second plant commissioned in 1989, which has a capacity of 150,000 bpsd. Both refineries have a combined capacity of 210,000 barrels per stream day making it the biggest oil refining company in Nigeria. They both had the last Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) in 2000. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Italian oil giant, ENI and NNPC which committed to the refurbishment of the both Port Harcourt Refineries

Rehabilitation works is being done be in two phases, with both the ENI and the original participating in the process. At the end of the first phase, the Port Harcourt refinery is projected to reach 60% capacity utilization, increasing to a minimum of 90%.

NNPC is in the process of strengthening the products distribution system by revamping its pipeline network through a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model whose process is already at an advanced stage. The GMD said that much had been put in place to boost oil exploration and production with an aim of raising national reserves to 40 billion barrels and daily production to 3 million.