The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation fulfilled its promise to re-stream the Port Harcourt Refining Company, marking the beginning of crude oil processing at the plant and the distribution of petroleum products into the Nigerian market.
This was revealed in a statement by the body on X and signed by NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye.
On Tuesday, trucks began loading key petroleum products, including Premium Motor Spirit — commonly known as petrol, Automotive Gas Oil or diesel, and Household Kerosene. Other products will also be dispatched as part of the refinery’s operational slate.
During a ceremony in Port Harcourt to commemorate the start of the product loadout, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, Mele Kyari, hailed the milestone as a major achievement for Nigeria, one that signifies the dawn of a new era of energy independence and economic growth for the country.
Kyari expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his steadfast support and commitment to the rehabilitation project, which is crucial for achieving energy security in Nigeria.
He also thanked the Board of Directors of NNPC and the entire workforce for their dedication and efforts, which led to the successful re-streaming of the refinery while commending the contractors for their hard work and resilience in overcoming challenges to deliver the refinery as promised.
The GCEO acknowledged the patience of Nigerians and their legitimate expectations from NNPC as the company works toward rehabilitating and streamlining the other refineries.
In his remarks, Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, congratulated NNPC on the completion of this phase of the PHRC rehabilitation and pledged continued support for the ongoing work at Nigeria’s other refineries.
The rehabilitation of the PHRC is a comprehensive Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation, and Commissioning project aimed at returning the refinery to full operational capacity. To date, the project has achieved over 16 million man-hours with zero lost-time injuries.
