August 25, (THEWILL) – For the sixth consecutive time, the Nigeria National Petroleum Company limited has postponed the resumption of operations at the Port Harcourt Refinery.
The refinery was previously scheduled to begin operations in 2021. Unfortunately this was not to be, due to what the NNPCL described as technical, financial and logistic problems.
With every passing day, the hopes of stakeholders and the general public for a return to petroleum products refining in the country and less dependence on imported, refined products are being dashed by forces beyond their reach.
Even with the latest postponement, there is no guarantee that a final date for resumption of operations at the refinery will be decided soon. This says a lot about the level of decay of infrastructure in the country on the one hand and the questionable capacity and ability of the managers of the country’s petroleum sector.
Earlier, Group CEO of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, had announced in July, 2024 that the refinery would be operational by early August. Indeed, Kyari had declared in 2019 that the NNPCL would complete all four refineries before the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.
Addressing the Senate on July 16, 2024, Kyari had said, “I can confirm to you, Mr Chairman, that by the end of the year, this country will be a net exporter of petroleum products.
“Specific to NNPC refineries, we have spoken to a number of your committees and it is impossible to have the Kaduna refinery come into operation before December, it will get to December, both Warri and Kaduna, but that of Port Harcourt will commence production early August this year.”
The month of August ends this week and there seems to be no end in sight for the long wait for the resuscitation of the Port Harcourt refinery, let alone Warri and Kaduna refineries.
Indeed, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) between April and August 2021, approved the award of the contract for the rehabilitation of Warri and Kaduna Refineries at the combined total sum of $1.5 billion and $1.5 for Port Harcourt.
Judging by the manner in which Port Harcourt Refinery has been handled, it is unclear whether Kaduna, Warri and the second Port Harcourt refineries will ever come on stream. Allowed to go to seed in the intervening years of the oil subsidy bazaar, all four refineries with a total capacity of 450,000 barrels of crude per day, have been allowed to rot.
