The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, has confirmed that work is ongoing at the 150,000 barrels-per-day plant of the Port Harcourt Refining Company in Rivers State.
The PHRC comprises two facilities: a 60,000 barrels-per-day plant and a 150,000 barrels-per-day plant.
Onanuga stated that the 60,000 barrels-per-day refinery is currently operating at 70% of its installed capacity, with plans to boost production soon.
Onanuga revealed this during a fact-finding visit to the 60,000 barrels-per-day refinery on Wednesday.
He added that the refinery receives a steady supply of crude oil, contrary to claims of a shortage.
On Thursday in a post on X titled “Putting to Rest Rumours about Port Harcourt Refinery Complex: Our Fact-Finding Mission”, the presidential aide said the lies and doubts about the refinery had been dismissed by the team’s fact-finding mission.
He noted that the team expressed satisfaction with the state of the refinery.
Onanuga said, “I was part of a fact-finding team that visited the 60,000 barrels daily Port Harcourt Refining Complex on Wednesday. I will now share our findings.
“Our team, guided by the refinery’s Managing Director Ibrahim Onoja, toured the entire complex, from the computerised control room to the loading bay and every section in between. We asked pointed questions and received satisfactory answers, dispelling our doubts and misconceptions.
“Nigerians must ignore naysayers and false information about the refinery’s operations. While it is not currently running at 100 per cent, it is functioning at 70 per cent installed capacity, with plans to increase production shortly.
“Furthermore, the refinery receives regular crude supplies, contrary to claims that it lacks crude to refine.”
He praised NNPCL for reviving “this dead asset,” which was “on the verge of becoming a museum piece.”
In November, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Olufemi Soneye, announced the commencement of the Port Harcourt refinery.
Soneye stated that the refinery began operations at 60% capacity, with efforts underway to increase production.
NNPCL spokesman stated that the refinery is currently processing 60,000 barrels of crude per day, with the facility having a total capacity of 210,000 barrels per day.
During the visit, Onanuga confirmed that the team verified the refinery’s production of various petroleum products, including kerosene, low-pour fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas, diesel, and petrol.
The latter is blended with other products to make the petrol we use in our cars. We even tested samples of the products,” he said.
“The refinery’s recent overhaul has transformed it into a modern facility. We saw upgraded and replaced parts, including part of the 300km new pipelines.
“Some parts the company had not changed in 27 years have been replaced with new ones, bringing the refinery up to 21st-century standard.”
The spokesperson said the revamping work has “indeed brought the refinery back to life,” adding that what was formerly a 20th-century refinery has been transformed into a state-of-the-art facility.
Onanuga added that the team also visited the co-located second Port Harcourt refinery, commissioned in 1989, where workers were actively dismantling old, rusty parts and installing new components.
