The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has stated that the 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) Port Harcourt Refinery and the Kaduna Refinery are undergoing comprehensive overhauls to achieve global standards.
In a statement released on Thursday, Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, clarified that the ongoing rehabilitation of the 60,000 bpd Port Harcourt Refinery and Warri Refinery differs from the typical Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) conducted in the past. He described the current work as a “total overhaul” aimed at ensuring the facilities meet world-class operational standards.
This response follows comments by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who questioned the viability of the rehabilitated Port Harcourt and Warri refineries. Obasanjo claimed that the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) had advised against the Port Harcourt Refinery’s operations, alleging corruption and accusing NNPCL of misleading Nigerians by declaring the refineries operational.
Soneye emphasized that NNPCL has made significant progress with the overhauls of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries and noted that similar rehabilitation efforts are ongoing at the second Port Harcourt Refinery and Kaduna Refinery. He reaffirmed NNPCL’s commitment to upgrading the facilities to global standards for sustainable operations.
The rehabilitation of Nigeria’s refineries is a critical component of NNPCL’s strategy to reduce reliance on fuel imports and bolster domestic refining capacity.
