The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has announced that the ongoing repair of the new 150,000 barrels per day Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) is now over 90% complete.
This update was shared by Isiyaku Abdullahi, the Group Executive Vice President, Downstream, during a visit by labor leaders from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to the refinery in Rivers State on Monday.
This milestone follows the recent resumption of operations at the old 60,000 bpd Port Harcourt plant, marking another significant step toward achieving energy self-sufficiency in Nigeria.
The newly rehabilitated refinery, which officially began operations on November 26, 2024, has already made strides in the global market by exporting its first cargo of low sulphur straight-run fuel oil to Gulf Transport and Trading Limited, based in Dubai.
While the facility has thus far been restricted to supplying fuel to its retail stations, NNPCL’s Abdullahi emphasized that the completion of the upgraded 150,000 bpd refinery would help resolve the country’s fuel supply challenges and potentially make Nigeria a net exporter of refined petroleum products.
“From the contractors’ report, over 90% of the rehabilitation work has been completed,” Abdullahi said during the tour of the facility.
“We are following through and ensuring that we get value for money. When this facility is fully operational, we will have a combined refining capacity of 210,000 barrels per day, which will support our domestic refining needs and fuel exports.”
However, Abdullahi did not provide a specific date for when the upgraded refinery would commence full operations.
The refinery’s Managing Director, Ibrahim Onoja, also guided the trade union leaders on a tour of the plant.
He highlighted the significant size and scale of the new Port Harcourt refinery, which was originally commissioned in 1989.
Onoja pointed out that the rehabilitation of the new refinery was undertaken alongside work on the old refinery, which has now resumed full operation.
Once both plants are fully operational, they will play a critical role in meeting Nigeria’s fuel demand while boosting the country’s position as an exporter of refined petroleum products.