The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) is undertaking a comprehensive upgrade of the Kaduna Refinery and the second Port Harcourt Refinery to align their operations with world-class standards.
NNPC explains that the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, with capacities of 60,000 barrels per day (bpd), goes beyond traditional Turnaround Maintenance (TAM). It involves a complete overhaul designed to meet global operational benchmarks.
This announcement follows comments from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who questions the viability of the rehabilitated Port Harcourt and Warri refineries. He references advice allegedly provided by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) that raised concerns about corruption impacting the Port Harcourt facility.
Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd., highlights the progress achieved under the company’s leadership. He emphasizes the commitment to ensuring the sustainability of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries through ongoing modernization efforts.
Soneye invites former President Obasanjo to visit the refineries and observe the progress firsthand.
“We hold President Obasanjo in high regard for his contributions to Nigeria’s development and value his insights. His wisdom and experience are vital as we advance on this historic journey,” Soneye states.
Key Developments
- The Kaduna Refinery rehabilitation begins in 2023, with major upgrades planned for the fourth quarter of 2024, as announced by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri.
- In November 2024, production resumes at the Port Harcourt Refinery, marking significant progress in Nigeria’s refining capacity.
- These modernization efforts aim to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products, conserve foreign exchange, increase local production, and drive economic growth in the oil and gas sector.
