The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited is awaiting technical assessments from two Chinese firms on the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries before moving ahead with plans for further investment agreements.

The NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, made this known in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, following the company’s latest update on the proposed partnership.

The Chinese firms, Sanjiang Chemical Company Limited and Xinganchen (Fuzhou) Industrial Park Operation and Management Co. Limited, have spent about three months carrying out detailed on-site assessments alongside NNPC’s technical teams.

In response to questions from The PUNCH, the company said the technical report was being finalised after the assessment, which is expected to establish the work and technology required to make the refineries commercially competitive.

“The prospective partners have carried out approximately three months of detailed on-site assessment with their senior engineers, working alongside NNPC teams. The technical report is being finalised. The assessment is intended to establish what work and technology are needed for competitive operations,“ Odeh said.

The NNPC stated that it was pursuing a technical equity partnership model to return the facilities to sustainable operations, stressing that rehabilitation work alone would not guarantee success.

“As the Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr Bayo Ojulari, has explained, successful rehabilitation requires financing, competent engineering and construction, and strong operating capability.

“Completing repairs alone is not enough; the facilities must also be able to operate reliably and profitably,” he noted.

According to the company, the next steps will involve completing the assessment report, receiving a detailed proposal from the prospective partners and agreeing on the technical and commercial terms.

“The next milestones are completion of the assessment report, a detailed partner proposal, and agreement on the technical and commercial terms. Definitive agreements, the necessary approvals and an investment decision would then provide the basis for a credible programme for completing work and restarting operations,” it stated.

The NNPC, however, said it could not announce a restart date until the requirements had been settled.

“We cannot responsibly promise a restart date before these requirements are settled,” the company said, adding that the assessment was concrete progress but that Nigerians would ultimately judge the initiative by sustained production and reliable product supply.

“We cannot responsibly promise a restart date before these requirements are settled. The engineering assessment is concrete progress, but Nigerians will ultimately judge success by sustained production and reliable product supply. We will continue to communicate verified milestones as the process advances,“ Odeh stated.

The proposed partnership comes after the memorandum of understanding signed by the NNPC and the two Chinese firms on 30 April, 2026. The agreement covers the completion of outstanding work, the operation and maintenance of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, and the assessment of possible upgrades and expansion, including petrochemical opportunities.

The NNPC, however, clarified that the MoU was only a preliminary framework and not a final investment or operating agreement.

At a media parley on 29 September, Ojulari reaffirmed that the company would not proceed with further rehabilitation without a credible route to commercial viability.

The company explained that the proposed model was designed to bring in partners willing to invest and share responsibility for the refineries’ performance, rather than contractors whose involvement ends once they are paid for completed work.

“This is intended to protect public value and avoid repeating arrangements that did not deliver sustained results,” the NNPC stated.

It also clarified that work on the Kaduna refinery had not begun under the partnership model, noting that the agreement with the Chinese firms covered only Port Harcourt and Warri.

Speaking on how the proposed revival could affect petrol prices, the NNPC said more efficient domestic refining could strengthen supply, increase competition and reduce dependence on imported finished products.

“We understand why Nigerians are asking about our refineries as petrol prices put pressure on household budgets and businesses. Our priority is to restore reliable, commercially sustainable refining capacity while supporting practical relief for customers,“ Odeh noted.

Meanwhile, the NNPC said its retail petrol discount, introduced on 1 October, would continue until 31 October, 2026, as part of efforts to provide temporary relief to customers.