By Hosea Parah, Abuja
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd. has successfully re-streamed the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), marking a significant step towards Nigeria’s energy independence and economic growth. On Tuesday, the refinery began processing crude oil and loading petroleum products into trucks for distribution, including Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or petrol, Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) or diesel, and Household Kerosene (HHK) or kerosene. Other products will also be dispatched in due course.
In a brief ceremony held in Port Harcourt to celebrate the commencement of product loadout, NNPC Ltd.’s Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Mr. Mele Kyari, hailed the achievement as monumental for Nigeria’s energy sector. He noted that the successful start-up of the refinery signals a new era of energy security and economic progress for the country.
Kyari expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his strong support and commitment to the refinery’s rehabilitation, emphasizing that the President’s leadership played a key role in ensuring energy security. He also extended thanks to the NNPC Ltd. Board of Directors, staff, and contractors for their efforts in overcoming challenges to bring the refinery back online.
“We are also deeply appreciative of the patience shown by Nigerians and the trust they have placed in NNPC Ltd. to deliver on our promise of revamping the nation’s refineries,” said Kyari.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream & Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr. Farouk Ahmed, also congratulated NNPC Ltd. on this milestone and reaffirmed his agency’s continued support for the completion of rehabilitation work at the country’s other refineries.
The PHRC rehabilitation project is a comprehensive Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation & Commissioning (EPCIC) initiative aimed at restoring the refinery to full operational capacity. Notably, the project has achieved over 16 million man-hours with zero Lost Time Injury (LTI), underscoring its safety and efficiency.
NNPC Ltd. is set to continue efforts toward further revitalizing Nigeria’s refining capacity, with the goal of reducing the country’s dependence on imported refined products and boosting economic development.