The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Mele Kyari, has provided assurance to Nigerians that the Port Harcourt refinery will commence the delivery of refined petroleum products within two weeks.
Following a meeting with Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, APC, Anambra-South, who leads the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Turnaround Maintenance of the country’s four refineries, on Thursday, March 14, Kyari revealed that the Warri refinery is also nearing readiness. Additionally, he disclosed that the Kaduna refinery is on track to be completed and operational by December this year.
Explaining the progress, Kyari stated, “The completion mechanical means that you are done with your rehabilitation work, now you are to test if this completion is okay. As for the Warri refinery, we have also completed the mechanical works on it, and it is undergoing the regulatory compliance processes that we are doing with our regulator. This also will be completed and ready. Kaduna will be ready by December, We have not reached that stage (of Port Harcourt and Warri) with Kaduna.”
Furthermore, Kyari emphasized that there are no significant challenges with the pipelines for delivering crude to the refineries, as the existing lines are fully pressurized to transport crude. He assured, “All crude lines are active and have actually delivered over 450,000 barrels into Port Harcourt refinery. We are confident in the integrity of it. Yes, there may be security issues, but also the government is responding to the situation.”
