Work underway at Port Harcourt Refinery’s second plant – Presidency

The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, has confirmed ongoing rehabilitation efforts at the 150,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) plant of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) in Rivers State.

The PHRC comprises two facilities: a 60,000bpd plant currently operating at 70% capacity and a larger 150,000bpd unit undergoing revamp.

Onanuga clarified that the refinery continues to receive steady crude oil supply, contrary to speculation that it lacks feedstock.

Speaking after a fact-finding visit to the 60,000bpd refinery on Wednesday, Onanuga shared his observations in a post titled “Putting to Rest Rumours about Port Harcourt Refinery Complex: Our Fact-Finding Mission” on Thursday via X.

“The team was satisfied with the state of the refinery,” he stated, adding that concerns and misinformation surrounding its operations were dispelled.

Onanuga explained, “I was part of a fact-finding team that visited the 60,000 barrels daily Port Harcourt Refining Complex. Our tour, led by the refinery’s Managing Director Ibrahim Onoja, covered the control room, loading bay, and other areas. We posed critical questions and received satisfactory responses, erasing doubts and misconceptions.”

He urged Nigerians to disregard false claims about the refinery, noting that while it operates below its full capacity, plans are in place to boost production soon.

“Furthermore, the refinery receives regular crude supplies, contrary to claims that it lacks crude to refine,” he added.

Commending the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Onanuga described the facility as a “revived asset” that had once neared obsolescence.

In November, NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye announced that the refinery was processing 60,000bpd of crude at an initial 60% capacity, with ongoing efforts to scale up production.

During the visit, Onanuga revealed that the refinery is producing petroleum products such as kerosene, diesel, low-pour fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas, and petrol.

“We even tested product samples during our visit,” he said. “Upgrades have modernized the facility, with significant replacements made, including 300km of pipelines. Some parts unchanged for 27 years were replaced, aligning the refinery with 21st-century standards.”

The fact-finding team also toured the adjacent 150,000bpd refinery, which was commissioned in 1989 and is currently under reconstruction. Workers were seen dismantling old components and installing new ones.

“Although officials did not specify a completion timeline, there is confidence that the plant will soon resume operations alongside its smaller counterpart,” Onanuga noted.

Expressing satisfaction, he said, “My curiosity has been satisfied. I commend NNPC Limited and the refinery team for reviving this dead asset, which was on the verge of becoming a museum piece.”