The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has confirmed that the ongoing repair of the new 150,000 barrels per day Port Harcourt Refining Company has reached over 90 per cent completion rate.
This is according to the Group Executive Vice President, Downstream, Isiyaku Abdullahi, who spoke on Monday when labour leaders from the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress visited the facility in Rivers State.
The development, coming weeks after the old 60,000bpd plant in the Port Harcourt refinery started its operations, is another step toward achieving energy sufficiency in the country.
Recall that the PHRC officially commenced operations on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, after a series of postponements of its resumption dates by its managers — Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
The newly rehabilitated Port Harcourt refinery also commenced the exportation of refined petroleum products, selling its first cargo of low sulphur straight-run fuel oil to Dubai-based Gulf Transport and Trading Limited.
While the facility has restricted its supply solely to its retail stations, the NNPCL EVC downstream said the coming onstream of the upgraded 150,000 barrels facility will resolve all fuel insufficiency challenges and make Nigeria a net exporter of refined petroleum products.
