JUST IN: Port Harcourt Refinery Finally Resumes Crude Oil Processing After Years of Delays

The Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) in Rivers State has officially resumed crude oil processing, marking a significant milestone for Nigeria’s energy sector. This development ends a long series of missed deadlines for the refinery’s production restart, which had been delayed for several years.

Femi Soneye, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), confirmed the news on Tuesday, describing the achievement as “monumental.” He stated that the commencement of crude oil processing at Port Harcourt’s refinery signals a new phase of energy independence and economic growth for the country. Soneye also expressed his congratulations to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the NNPC Board, and NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer Mele Kyari for their dedication to the project.

In addition to the refinery’s reopening, Soneye announced that truck loading would begin immediately, signaling the start of fuel distribution. He also highlighted that efforts were underway to bring the Warri Refinery back online soon.

The latest update from Port Harcourt’s refinery comes after several delays in its resumption. When Heineken Lokpobiri took office as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources in August 2023, he had hoped the refinery would be operational by December of that year. However, in March 2024, NNPCL’s Mele Kyari set a new target for production to begin in April.

Kyari had previously emphasized the urgency of addressing Nigeria’s fuel supply issues and expressed a focus on rehabilitating the country’s refining infrastructure. “We are not here to give excuses,” he said in August 2024 during an inspection of the PHRC. “We are committed to delivering this project and enhancing the nation’s refining capacity,” he added, expressing hope that Nigeria would become a net exporter of petroleum products by the end of 2024.