The Port Harcourt Refining Company, managed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) in Rivers State, has once again missed its target start date, marking the sixth delay in its operation commencement, according to The PUNCH.
Promises from the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and NNPC have repeatedly fallen short, leaving Nigerians frustrated as they await the refinery’s long-overdue activation. Since December 2023, NNPC has provided multiple assurances that the refinery would soon begin selling refined products, but these deadlines have consistently been pushed back.
In July, NNPC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, confidently stated that the refinery would be operational by early August. This followed a similar pledge made in 2019 to deliver all four of Nigeria’s refineries before the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Despite Kyari’s assurances, as August approaches its midpoint, the refinery remains inactive, raising concerns over yet another unfulfilled promise by NNPC. When questioned about the delay, NNPC’s spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, simply responded, “We are on course,” without providing further details.
The 210,000 barrels-per-day refinery was previously reported to have reached “mechanical completion” of its rehabilitation in December, with plans to refine 60,000 barrels of crude oil daily after the Christmas break. However, these expectations have yet to be met.
In March, Kyari assured the Senate Ad-hoc Committee that the refinery would begin operations in April, but this deadline also came and went without any progress. As the delays continue, independent petroleum marketers remain skeptical about the refinery’s operational timeline.
NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Soneye, has cited the need for regulatory approvals from international bodies as the current obstacle to the refinery’s launch, despite all other preparations being in place.
Nigerians continue to wait, hoping that this latest postponement will not lead to yet another disappointing setback.
