The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Mele Kyari, has announced that the Port Harcourt refinery will recommence operations within the next two weeks. Kyari made this declaration during a press briefing following his appearance before a Senate Ad-hoc committee investigating various Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) projects across the country's refineries. He disclosed that mechanical works have been completed on the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, with the Kaduna facility expected to become operational by December.
Kyari assured that the NNPC is committed to delivering on its promises regarding the rehabilitation of the refineries, emphasizing the completion of mechanical work as a significant milestone. He further revealed that regulatory compliance tests are underway before restarting operations, with the Port Harcourt refinery expected to undergo these tests in the coming weeks. Additionally, Kyari stated that over 450,000 barrels of crude oil have already been stocked into the Port Harcourt refinery in preparation for its reopening.
While addressing concerns about fraud in the Turn Around Maintenance of the refineries, Senate Ad-hoc panel Chairman Senator Ifeanyi Ubah dismissed reports of fraudulent practices. He affirmed that documents on the TAM have shown progress without indicating any foul play. Senator Ubah also pledged that the committee would conduct site visits to all refineries to assess the progress firsthand, ensuring a comprehensive report for presentation to the Senate shortly.
