Port Harcourt Refinery is Still Test Running-FG

The Federal Government has said that the refurbished Port Harcourt Refinery is still undergoing test run, promising that refined petroleum products from the plant would soon be available. 

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, made the disclosure while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday. 

The disclosure is coming amidst speculations by Petroleum product marketers that there might be a spike in pump price following the poor run of the Naira against the United States Dollar.

According to the marketers, there is no way the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, would continue to supply Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, to keep up with current pump rice given the the current huge difference between the two currencies which stands at about N1,450 to one US Dollar. 

While commending the NNPCL for being able to provide uninterrupted supply of PMS, spokesperson, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Ukadike Chinedu, noted however, that with the huge differential between the Naira and American Dollar, the likelihood is there for the price of the commodity to spike.

“We commend the NNPC for being able to provide PMS, but the truth is that the rise in dollar is affecting every commodity in Nigeria and PMS might not be an exemption any time soon. So it is likely that we may see a hike in its price,” he said.

However, Lokpobiri assured that rehabilitation works on Area 5 of the facility has been completed, adding that it was only going through test run before commencing full operation.

“The mechanical aspect of the Port Harcourt refinery has been completed and they are still test-running. Yesterday the MD of the refinery was here because I had to ask him what was going on.

“These were projects that are very fundamental to our survival economically, and I believe that very soon products will start coming from there. But there are several components in that gigantic structure that will take time mechanically to finalise for products to start coming.

“Recall that the Dangote refinery was commissioned by the Buhari administration but they haven’t started releasing products because it takes time. So I believe that the Port Harcourt refinery will soon come and the Warri refinery is in top gear.”

It would be recalled that on Thursday, December 2023, the Federal Government assured that rehabilitation works on the Area-5 Plant of the refinery would be completed shortly after the Christmas break