Port Harcourt Refinery Now Operating At 70% Capacity, Says Presidential Aide.
The Port Harcourt Refining Complex is currently functioning at 70% of its installed capacity, with plans to scale up production, according to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu.
Onanuga made this known after participating in a fact-finding mission to the refinery, which has a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day. Speaking in a statement titled “Putting to Rest Rumours about Port Harcourt Refinery Complex: Our Fact-Finding Mission,” he described the facility’s operations as a testament to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPCL) efforts to revive dormant assets.
The team, led by the refinery’s Managing Director, Ibrahim Onoja, toured various sections of the complex, including the computerised control room and loading bay. Onanuga stated that the tour dispelled doubts and falsehoods about the refinery’s capacity and crude oil supply.
“Nigerians must ignore naysayers and false information about the refinery’s operations. While it is not yet at full capacity, it is performing at 70% and regularly receives crude oil supplies,” he said.
He also commended NNPCL for transforming what he described as a “dead asset” on the verge of becoming obsolete.
In November, NNPCL announced that the Port Harcourt refinery had resumed operations at 60% capacity, refining 60,000 barrels of crude oil daily. The refinery, which boasts a combined capacity of 250,000 barrels per day, is expected to further increase production in the near future.
Onanuga’s statement underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to boosting domestic refining capacity as part of its broader strategy to reduce reliance on imported petroleum products. This development comes amid ongoing efforts to revitalise the nation’s refining infrastructure and ensure energy self-sufficiency.
The Port Harcourt Refinery is set to play a key role in these initiatives, contributing significantly to Nigeria’s economic and industrial growth.
