Port Harcourt Refinery: NNPCL announces August as fresh date to commence operation

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari has announced that the Port-Harcourt Refinery will commence operations in August 2024.

Kyari disclosed this on Monday during an interactive session of joint committees of the National Assembly on Finance.

He explained that Kaduna and Warri Refineries will be finalized by the end of December this year.

Accordingly, with the Dangote Refinery and other modular refineries, Nigeria will be a net exporter of Petroleum products by December 2024.

“We’re very optimistic that by December, this country will be a net exporter.

“That means a combination of production coming from us, and also from the Dangote refinery and other smaller producing companies that we know are in line to do this.

“Specific to NNPC refinery. We have spoken to a number of your committees, that 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,” he said.

This comes after several missed deadlines for the optimal operation of Port Harcourt Refinery.

NNPCL had earlier announced March and July 2024 dates for the commencement of the refinery after its mechanical completion in December last year.

Recall that the Dangote refinery also announced that it will commence supplying fuel to the Nigerian market in August.