*To resume operation next year
31 August 2012, Sweetcrude, PORT HARCOURT – THE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, says the process for full rehabilitation and resuscitation of the Port Harcourt refinery will begin on Friday.
It said the technical and commercial proposal for the turn around maintenance, TAM, of the 210,000 barrels per day refining plant would be received on Friday, following which evaluation of the proposal would follow immediately while the contract would be awarded by October.
NNPC’s Group Executive Director, Refining and Petrochemicals, Mr. Tony Ogbuigwe, made these known in a keynote address he presented at the international conference on petroleum refining and petrochemicals organised by the University of Port Harcourt and the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF.
He said at the conference with theme, ‘Sustainable Refinery Turn around Maintenance’, that contractors will mobolise to site immediately in October, commencing detailed planning and mobilisation of manpower and heavy equipment that would be expected to last for about four months.
Assording to him, the plant would be shut down in February 2013 and handed over to the contractor for the turn maintenance to be executed in about 45 days.
He said the plant will be back in operation by April 2013.
