Port Harcourt’s 2nd Refinery Set to Resume Production Soon

The Presidency has reassured Nigerians that the second 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) plant at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) in Rivers State will soon be operational. Ongoing work at the facility signals its forthcoming launch, according to the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga.

The Port Harcourt refinery company operates two refineries: a 60,000bpd plant and the larger 150,000bpd plant.

Onanuga, in a statement titled ‘Putting to Rest Rumours about Port Harcourt Refinery Complex: Our Fact-Finding Mission,’ urged Nigerians to disregard negative speculation surrounding the revival of the Port Harcourt refinery.

Addressing concerns about the 60,000bpd refinery, Onanuga confirmed that it is functioning at 70% of its installed capacity, with plans to ramp up production. He revealed he was part of a fact-finding team that visited the refinery on Wednesday, accompanied by the Managing Director, Ibrahim Onoja. The team toured the entire facility, from the computerized control room to the loading bay, and engaged with officials to clarify the refinery’s operational status.

Onanuga stated that despite rumors, the refinery is receiving regular crude oil supplies, countering claims that it lacked feedstock. He noted that the facility produces a range of petroleum products, including kerosene, low-pour fuel oil, LPG, diesel, and gasoline, with gasoline being blended to produce the petrol used in vehicles. Onanuga added that the refinery’s recent overhaul has modernized the plant, with parts of the facility, including 300 kilometers of new pipelines, replaced to bring it up to 21st-century standards.

The team also visited the second Port Harcourt refinery, commissioned in 1989, where workers were actively dismantling outdated equipment and installing new parts. Although officials did not provide an exact timeline, there was confidence that the 150,000bpd refinery would soon join its 60,000bpd counterpart in production.

Onanuga commended the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the refinery team for revitalization. He dismissed the various doubts and misinformation surrounding the project, declaring that the fact-finding mission had put all concerns to rest.

The development follows recent statements from Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, who indicated that the new refinery would begin operations by mid-2025.