Business
Finally, Port Harcourt Refinery begins production; truck loading kicks off

After series of missed deadlines, Nigerian owned Port Harcourt Refinery has commenced processing of crude oil.
The spokesperson of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, (NNPCL) Olufemi Soneye, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, November 26, 2024.
According to him, the refinery has kicked off with 60 percent capacity.
He noted that the Refinery is processing 60,000 barrels of crude per day.
The Port Harcourt refinery has a combined 250,000 barrels per day capacity.
The NNPC noted that the milestone signifies a new era of energy independence and economic growth for the Nigeria.
Soneye noted that truck loading will also commence on Tuesday (today), adding that the NNPCL is “working tirelessly to bring the Warri Refinery back online soon”.
This development puts an end to series of missed deadlines in the commencement of production by the refinery.
This is coming after a whopping sum of over $1.5 billion had been spent on the turn-around maintenance (TAM) of the refinery.
READ ALSO: NNPC unveils Utapate crude grade at international oil market
It would be recalled that Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee set up to Investigate Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry, had expressed concerns during an interactive session with stakeholders in Abuja on August 7, 2024.
Bamidele, who also serves as the Senate Leader, emphasized that it was unfair and improper to neglect public companies while private businesses continued to flourish and thrive.
He recalled that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved a $1.5 billion plan by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in 2021 to rehabilitate and revamp the Port Harcourt Refinery.
According to him, the refinery has kicked off with 60 percent capacity.
Upon his assumption of office in August 2023, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) Heineken Lokpobiri said the Port Harcourt refinery would begin production in September before it was pushed forward to December of that year.
In March of the following year, the Group Managing Director of NNPCL Mele Kyari promised that the refinery would begin production in April. It was also missed.
Port Harcourt Refinery Begins Production; Truck Loading Starts Today, Tuesday! pic.twitter.com/a3C2hyDFfy
— Femi Soneye (@FM_Soneye) November 26, 2024
By: Babajide Okeowo
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