NNPC delivers on promise as Port Harcourt refinery rehabilitation hits milestone

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd. has successfully achieved the mechanical completion of the rehabilitation work on Area 5 Plant at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), marking a significant milestone in the ongoing refurbishment of the nation’s refineries.

In a statement signed by Olufemi O. Soneye, NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, the company said the extensive rehabilitation, spanning over two years, was aimed at restoring the Old Port Harcourt Refinery (Area 5) to operational efficiency. 

The NNPC had committed to completing Phase One of the project, including mechanical completion and flare start-up, by 31st December 2023.

As of December 15th, 2023, key figures revealed notable progress, with 84.4% completion of Area 5 Plant and 77.4% of the overall rehabilitation project. 

Mr. Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., expressed satisfaction, during an inspection tour coinciding with the 15th Refineries’ Rehabilitation Steering Committee Meeting.

“In our quest to ensure that this refinery is re-streamed to continue to deliver value to Nigerians, we made a promise that we will reach a mechanical completion of phase one of the rehabilitation project by the end of December and get the other plants running in 2024. Today, we have kept those commitments,” Kyari stated.

Kyari commended NNPC Ltd.’s staff and the Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation, and Commissioning (EPCIC) contractors for their dedication to achieving this significant milestone. 

The Chairman of NNPC Ltd Board, Chief Pius Akinyelure, echoed this sentiment, describing the achievement as “historic” and expressing pride in the refinery’s staff and management.

Chief Akinyelure emphasised the commitment to reaching the highest level of production to stabilize petroleum prices and generate increased revenue for the nation. 

“We are just starting. We want to be at the highest level of production so that we will keep the prices of petroleum prices stable in order to give comfort to our people and generate more revenue for our country,” Akinyelure noted.

The Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, tied the accomplishment to the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and thanked Nigerians for their patience and trust in NNPC Ltd.

Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas), highlighted the positive impact of re-streaming the refinery on the nation’s Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) industry, emphasizing that cooking gas is a major by-product of the refinery.

The Managing Director of Tecnimont Nig. Ltd, Fabio Del Cioppo, reaffirmed his company’s commitment to fulfilling the terms of the $1.5bn EPCIC project. 

The project covers Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation, and Commissioning phases, with the mechanical completion of Area 5 representing the closure of Construction and Installation phases.

Importantly, the milestone was accomplished with an outstanding Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) record, boasting over 9.5 million man-hours with zero Loss Time Injury (LTI).