We’re Expediting Efforts To Complete Rehabilitation Works On Three Refineries -Lokpobiri
By Sunday Etuka, Abuja
The Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri says the Federal Government is expediting efforts to complete rehabilitation works on the three refineries to meet the nation’s domestic petroleum needs.
Sen. Lokpobiri who disclosed this in a statement on his X handle stated that the Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, remains committed to fostering the necessary synergy and partnerships to achieve the administration’s goals.
Recall that the three refineries; Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri with a combined capacity to process around 4.45 million barrels per day are currently undergoing rehabilitation.
The Port Harcourt refinery has been undergoing a $1.5billion upgrade for over two years now, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) carrying out the rehabilitation work has achieved mechanical completion and flare start up of the refinery.
The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the NNPC Ltd, Mallam Mele Kyari, had disclosed that so far, the Port Harcourt Refinery has received 450,000 barrels of crude for processing following the mechanical completion of the plant in December last year.
Kyari had also projected the refinery to commence crude oil refining early this month.
Nigerians await the completion of the rehabilitation works on the refineries, especially, the Port Harcourt refinery to crash the price of the petroleum products in the country.
Meanwhile, Lokpobiri, during his appearance before the Senate Ad-hoc Committee investigating alleged economic sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry on Wednesday, expressed his commitment to cooperating with the committee to put to rest some of the misinformation making rounds.
He emphasized that in view of the fact that the quickest means to overcome the nation’s economic challenges lies within the petroleum sector, there is a need to keep Nigerians in the know of procedures and processes being carried out in the administration effort to transform and reposition the oil sector, bearing in mind the need to protect and promote the local players in the industry.
