Amid concerns about the operations of the revamped Port Harcourt Refinery, a fact-finding mission led by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and other stakeholders has debunked claims that the facility was recycling old stock rather than refining fresh crude oil.
Onanuga was part of the delegation that toured the refinery on Wednesday to have first-hand information the refinery’s operations amid different speculations.
During the tour, guided by the refinery’s Managing Director, Ibrahim Onoja, the team inspected the facility’s various sections, including the computerized control room and loading bay.
The team verified that the refinery is producing different petroleum products, including kerosene, low-pour fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), diesel, and gasoline.
Onanuga also confirmed that the refinery is receiving regular crude supplies, contrary to earlier reports.
The refinery’s recent $1.5bn rehabilitation saw the installation of 300 kilometers of new pipelines and replacement of equipment that had not been changed in 27 years.
Giving account of his observation from the tour, Onanuga said: “…I am pleased to report that we were satisfied with what we saw.
“Nigerians must ignore naysayers and false information about the refinery’s operations.
“During our visit, we confirmed that the refinery produces petroleum products, including kerosene, low-pour fuel oil, LPG, diesel, and gasoline. The latter is blended with other products to make the petrol we use in our cars. We even tested samples of the products.
“The revamping work has indeed brought the refinery back to life. What was once a 20th-century refinery has been transformed into a state-of-the-art facility.
“We also visited the co-located second Port Harcourt refinery, commissioned in 1989. Workers were busy dismantling old, rusty parts and replacing them with new ones. Although officials declined to provide a timeline for its completion, there was an air of confidence that it would soon be operational, joining its 60,000 barrels a day counterpart.
“My curiosity has been satisfied. I commend NNPC Limited and the refinery team for reviving this dead asset, which was on the verge of becoming a museum piece.
“Our fact-finding mission has buried the various doubts and lies about the Port Harcourt Refinery Complex.”
A social media personality and broadcaster, Kemkem (@KemPatriot), who was also part of the visit, lauded the engineering feats accomplished during the refinery’s rehabilitation.
She tweeted on Wednesday, “The NNPC is paying the price for not telling its incredible story. The magnitude of what I saw deserves the loudest applause.
“For a moment, consider this: the 70% progress achieved so far at the refinery has involved laying over 300 kilometers of pipes and installing more than 800 kilometers of cables—an engineering feat of epic proportions that has gone largely unacknowledged.
“To walk through the facility is to witness the blood, sweat, and genius it has taken to breathe life into this 59-year-old 60,000 barrels per day refinery now producing at 70% capacity.
“Reviving such an aging structure is a challenge that defies imagination. Building afresh may sound simpler, but the financial implications would be staggering.”
She also praised the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mallam Mele Kyari, and the refinery’s staff for their dedication.
“For those who question @mkkyari’s leadership, a visit to this refinery would undoubtedly change their tune. Instead of criticism, they would be singing his praises.
“I cannot overstate my admiration for the dedicated team that made this visit possible.
“To @MKKyari only Allah can truly reward you. For all the times we doubted you, may Allah forgive us. The work done there is nothing short of extraordinary. No one who visits the refinery will ever doubt the magnitude of all they are committing to make the refineries work
Credit: The Whistler
