Port Harcourt refinery contractor reveals date to announce completion work

• Nigerians will know the completion stage of the Port Harcourt refinery on or before October 2, 2024
• The contractor handling the project disclosed that it will publicly disclose the completion date following inquiries by Femi Falana
• Falana had written to the company via its lawyers, asking it to provide a precise completion date for the refinery

Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.

The contractor handling Port Harcourt Refinery, Maire Tecnimont SpA, has announced that it will provide details of the project’s completion on or before October 2, 2024.

The law firm of Olajide Oyewole conveyed the statement in response to a letter by Femi Falana, who inquired about the refinery’s completion timeline.

Group chief executive officer, Mele Kyari Credit: Bloomberg/Contributor
Source: UGC

NNPC has delayed the project since 2021

The firm replied to Falana’s request and said that its client, Technomont, received the lawyer's request dated September 17 and 24, 2024, regarding the contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and is considering the inquiries.

According to the law firm, its client is considering Falana’s letters and intends to respond on or before October 2, 2024.

The $1.5 billion engineering, procurement, and construction contract for repairing the Port Harcourt refinery was signed between the NNPC and Tecnimont on April 6, 2021, before it became a public firm.

Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, initially said the repair would occur in three phases, lasting 18, 24, and 44 months, respectively.

NNPC’s unfulfilled timelines

The state oil firm disclosed on December 21, 2023 that the mechanical repairs of the refinery’s turnaround maintenance were completed, and the facility was ready.

On March 15, 2024, the group chief executive officer of NNPC, Mele Kyari, said that production at the facility would commence by the end of that month. However, the target was missed.

BusinessDay reports that the NNPC boss later set a new timeline for the refinery’s completion, which was also not actualised.

NNPC’s executive vice president of downstream operations, Adedapo Segun, disclosed that despite the mechanical completion in December last year, further safety checks were needed to ensure the refinery’s safe operation.

He stressed that NNPC would not rush into production to meet a deadline if there were unsettled safety concerns.

NNPC gives reasons marketers cannot lift Dangote petrol

Legit.ng earlier reported that NNPC has said that oil marketers cannot import or buy petrol from the Dangote refinery because the product is not viable and cost-reflective.

Dapo Segun, executive vice president of the NNPC's downstream division, said no one was excluded from petrol imports.

He said the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has approved import permits.

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Source: Legit.ng