May 21, (THEWILL)- The 210,000-barrel-per-day Port Harcourt refinery will begin operations by the end of July, the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) said Monday.
The IPMAN National Public Relations Officer, Ukadike Chinedu, who made this known, said the commencement of the refinery operations would reduce the price of petroleum products and ensure adequate supply and stimulate economic activities.
In March 2019, the refinery was shut down for the first phase of repair works after the government secured the service of a technical adviser of Italy’s Maire Tecnimont, to handle the reviews of its complex, with oil major, Eni, appointed technical adviser.
Speaking during an interview on Monday, Ukadike said the work done represented a complete turnaround, not just rehabilitation, emphasising that every effort would be made to meet the July deadline.
“Yes when we visited the place, the MD told us that the refinery was almost ready and by the end of July, they would start producing. It has been turned into a new one. They changed all the armoured cable to brand new and everything there is almost like a brand-new refinery.
“The turnaround on maintenance is very massive and the job is being done day and night. All hands are on deck to make sure that they meet that target. By the end of July the refinery should be ready”, he said.
Reminded of several promises by the government to kick start the project, Ukadike said, “Yes, there have been delays but they didn’t tell us any reason for the delay of the last deadline given in April. They are not facing any challenges at all; I can say the refinery is 99 percent ready.
“What we want is competition. I am very sure that with the two refineries, the price of petrol will be reduced. Dangote is coming soon and the Port Harcourt refinery is almost ready too and that is very good. We need that competition for the benefit of the nation.”
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