NNPCL Invites Private Companies to Operate Port Harcourt Refinery

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has officially opened the door for private companies to express their interest in operating and maintaining the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC).

This move, disclosed via the commission’s X platform on Monday, aims to enhance dependability and sustainability to meet the nation’s fuel supply and energy security needs.

In a statement titled, “Request For Expression Of Interest (EOI) For The Provision Of Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Services For NNPC Limited Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC),” NNPC outlined its intention to engage reputable Operations & Maintenance (O&M) companies to ensure the reliable and sustainable operation of the PHRC.

The Port Harcourt Refinery reportedly resumed operations in December, following months of rehabilitation by NNPCL. Amaka Okafor, Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, confirmed the refinery’s operational status, stating, “Yes, the refinery is set; we will visit the refinery site today to kickstart its operation.”

The $1.5 billion rehabilitation project, initiated in 2019 by the former President Muhammadu Buhari administration, aimed to restore the refinery to its nameplate capacity of 210,000 barrels per day (bpd).

Lokpobiri and Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, had assured Nigerians in August that the refinery would be operational by December 2023.

During a budget defence session on December 9, Kyari informed Nigerian lawmakers that the Port Harcourt refinery would commence operations by the end of December 2023. He also projected that the Warri refinery would begin operation in early 2024, with the Kaduna refinery expected to follow suit by the end of 2024.