The Federal Government, on Thursday, announced the mechanical completion of rehabilitation work on Area-5 Plant of the Port Harcourt Refining Company in Rivers State.

It said the first phase of the plant had been completed, as the facility would start refining 60,000 barrels of crude oil after the Christmas break.

About 170 litres of refined petroleum products can be obtained from a barrel of crude oil. This implies that the 60,000bpd production from the Port Harcourt refinery can provide an estimated 10.2 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol and other refined products.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, which is the manager of the refinery, revealed that the second phase of the facility would be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024 and would lead to the refining of 150,000bpd crude by the facility.



This came as the government also stated that the importation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, popularly called cooking gas, would reduce after the Christmas break, as the refinery starts pumping out refined products.

The rehabilitation work at the Port Harcourt refinery has been ongoing for over two years and the NNPCL had pledged to complete phase one of the project (mechanical completion and flare start-up) of Old Port Harcourt Refinery (Area-5) by December 31, 2023.

Speaking during an inspection tour of the rehabilitation project, which also coincided with the 15th Refineries’ Rehabilitation Steering Committee Meeting, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said the first phase of the PHRC was completed on December 20, 2023.

He said, “The meeting today coincides with the commencement of operations at the Port Harcourt refinery. This is to announce to Nigerians that in fulfilment of our pledge in completing phase one of the Port Harcourt refinery by the end of 2023, and the subsequent streaming of phase two in 2024, we happily announce the mechanical completion of flare start-up on December 20, 2023.

“This heralds the commencement in the production of petroleum products after the Christmas break. We want to thank Nigerians for their patience and trust in the NNPC to deliver on our promise and mandate in the rehabilitation of our refineries.”

Lokpobiri noted that with the completion of the first phase of the refinery, the remaining refineries in Warri and Kaduna would follow.