Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, has disclosed that the Port Harcourt refinery is set to commence production in two weeks time.
TheCable reports that Kyari made this announcement following a meeting with the Senate ad hoc committee investigating Nigerian refineries’ various Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) projects.
“In the next two weeks, production will start. We did mechanical completion of Port Harcourt, that was what we said in December 2023,” Kyari stated. “That means we are done with our rehabilitation work, now you are to test if this completion is okay.”
Kyari further elaborated that mechanical works have been completed at the Warri refinery, with the facility currently undergoing regulatory compliance procedures. However, he noted that the Kaduna refinery’s completion is expected by December.
Assuring the committee of transparency, Kyari affirmed that all crude lines are active, with over 450,000 barrels already delivered to the Port Harcourt refinery. Despite acknowledging security challenges, Kyari highlighted the government’s proactive response to the situation.
Ifeanyi Uba, chairman of the ad hoc committee, expressed satisfaction with the information provided by the NNPC. Uba affirmed the committee’s commitment to overseeing refinery operations: “I believe everything is positively on track.” He further disclosed plans for the committee to visit the refineries to assess progress firsthand.
The committee is scheduled to reconvene with Kyari on March 19 to address issues related to crude oil theft.