The Port Harcourt refinery is set to begin producing refined petroleum products within two weeks, according to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, made the announcement during a meeting with a Senate committee.
Kyari said the refinery repairs were on schedule.
He also confirmed that the rehabilitation of the Warri refinery is nearing completion, and the Kaduna refinery is expected to be finished by December of this year.
“The Completion mechanical means that you are done with your rehabilitation work; now you are to test if this completion is okay,” Kyari said.
“As for the Warri refinery, we have also completed the mechanical works on it and it is undergoing the regulatory compliance processes that we are doing with our regulator.
“This also will be completed and it will be ready. “Kaduna will be ready by December, We have not reached that stage (of Port Harcourt and Warri) with Kaduna.”
He also addressed concerns about the pipelines delivering crude oil to the refineries, stating that existing lines are operational and have already delivered over 450,000 barrels to Port Harcourt.
Security challenges in the oil-producing Niger Delta were acknowledged, but Kyari assured that the government is taking action.
The Senate committee also addressed allegations of fraud surrounding the refinery maintenance project.
Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, APC, Anambra-South led Senate Ad-hoc Committee, said that he already had some documents on the TAM and that no fraudulent practice had been discovered in the exercise.
Ubah noted that they had reviewed documents and found no evidence of wrongdoing.
“I have seen some documents indicating that something is being done and there is nothing to suggest that there is a foul play in the exercise,” Ubah said.
