Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Federal Government has announced that the Port Harcourt Refinery will commence operations by the first quarter of 2023.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, who gave the announcement said the Port Harcourt refinery would be able to refine 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day from next year.
Sylva spoke during a one-day facility tour of the Port Harcourt Refining Company in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers state, assured that the federal government remains committed to making the refinery work.
He added that with the rate at which rehabilitation work was ongoing at the refinery, Nigeria will be refining her crude oil soon.
“We are committed to completing this project on schedule.
“I have extracted that commitment from the project manager that this project is going to go as scheduled and that by first quarter of next year, at least 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day would be delivered to Nigerians from the Port Harcourt Refinery.”
Also speaking, the Chairman, NNPC Board, Mrs. Margery Okadigbo, said the Board was optimistic that when the nation’s refineries begin operations, foreign exchange expenditures would be drastically reduced.
“I think it’s a very welcome development. The sooner we begin to produce domestically, the sooner we will begin to cut off these foreign exchange expenditures and also bring down cost; and then maybe oneday we will be able to run away from subsidy.”
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