Slightly two months next the September of entirety closing date flop, the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Fee has defined why it might no longer ship the much-awaited Port Harcourt Refinery Corporate.
In an interview with our correspondent on Monday, the NNPC Prominent Company Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, stated the corporate encountered dangers and demanding situations time sporting out the rehabilitation, being a brownfield challenge.
He famous that the NNPC started the commissioning of crucial apparatus and processing gadgets next the mechanical of entirety in Nigeria.
“You could recall that mechanical of entirety of the PHRC revamp used to be effectively completed a number of months in the past, marking a vital milestone within the challenge. Following this, we started the commissioning of crucial apparatus and procedure gadgets.
“However, as is common with brownfield projects of this scale and complexity, we encountered unforeseen risks and challenges,” he mentioned.
Nevertheless, he advised The PUNCH that the problems have been resolved and commissioning actions have resumed.
Soneye wired that paintings is being performed to safeguard the challenge’s of entirety.
“Those problems have since been successfully resolved, and commissioning actions have resumed.
“Work is being carried out around the clock to ensure the successful completion of this critical project,” he advised our correspondent.
Requested if there may be any timeline for the of entirety of the challenge, he responded, “Shortly.”
It used to be seen that the NNPC desisted from giving unutilized points in time for the supply of the refinery, having failed to fulfill its points in time seven occasions.
The moribund Port Harcourt refinery is one in every of 3 owned via the Federal Govt and controlled via the NNPC.
Nigerians had been hopeful that the price of gasoline may collision if the rustic refines its crude and ends the import of subtle merchandise.
The NNPC stated latter pace that it will proceed to import gasoline, pronouncing it used to be no longer the only real off-taker of petrol on the Dangote refinery.
The refinery, positioned in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta pocket, has been in operation since 1965, however then become moribund for a number of years.
In March 2021, the Nigerian executive bought a $1.5bn mortgage for the renovation and modernisation of the refinery, however the contractor dealing with the challenge has but to announce its of entirety.
The PUNCH seen that guarantees made to Nigerians via the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Sources and the NNPC concerning the refinery have persisted to accident brick partitions.
Later the failure of the 6th closing date in early August, the next Prominent Monetary Officer of the NNPC, Umar Ajiya, stated the refinery would begin operations in September 2024.
On the other hand, September ended with no assurance from the NNPC concerning the refinery, and Nigerians had been left within the dull since nearly two months in the past.
Recall that the contractor overseeing the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery, Maire Tecnimont SPA, refused to reveal the of entirety life for the challenge, in spite of a proper request from a human rights attorney, Femi Falana.
It seems that baffled via the prolong within the of entirety of the challenge, Falana had filed an respectable request beneath the Independence of Data Employment, in search of readability at the life put aside for the challenge of entirety.
In reaction, Maire Tecnimont’s felony consultant, Muyiwa Ogungbenro, a spouse at Olajide Oyewole LLP, despatched a letter to Falana in early October, declining to show the guidelines.
Ogungbenro mentioned that the Managing Director of Maire Tecnimont SPA, as a part of an distant non-public contractor, isn’t obligated to reveal such data beneath the FOI Employment.
“We’re recommend to Maire Tecnimont SpA, and we now have our shopper’s instruction to answer your letters dated 17 and 24 September 2024 inquiring for data at the word between our shopper and Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Corporate Ltd.
“Our shopper is a non-public corporate. Being a non-public distant contractor, our shopper isn’t an organization wherein any executive has a controlling passion, and does no longer handover society products and services, purposes or utilising society budget for them to be sure via the tasks within the Independence of Data Employment.
“On this ground, our client regrettably cannot provide the information you have requested,” Ogungbenro declared.
Since next, details about the refinery has been saved from the society, whose hope for inexpensive petrol lies within the facility.
From December 2023, NNPC have been giving Nigerians other dates, assuring them that the refinery would start the sale of subtle merchandise quickly, having attained mechanical of entirety.
In July, the Crew Prominent Govt Officer of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, mentioned categorically that the refinery would come into operation in early August. He had stated in 2019 that the NNPC would ship the entire nation’s 4 refineries prior to the tip of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s management latter occasion.
When he gave the impression prior to the Senate in July, Kyari boasted, “I will be able to ascertain to you, Mr Chairman, that via the tip of the occasion, this nation will probably be a web exporter of petroleum merchandise.
“Specific to NNPC refineries, we have spoken to a number of your committees, and it is impossible to have the Kaduna refinery come into operation before December, it will get to December, both Warri and Kaduna; but that of Port Harcourt will commence production early August this year.”
On the other hand, the word of honour used to be no longer fulfilled in August which used to be the 6th postponement.
Although the NNPC stated it used to be on the right track, the refinery has but to begin operations even because the fourth quarter of the occasion nears the tip.
The PUNCH remembers that the 210,000 barrels according to moment refinery used to be stated to have reached what the NNPC referred to as mechanical of entirety of rehabilitation paintings in December. It mentioned that the power would get started refining 60,000 barrels of crude oil day-to-day next latter occasion’s Christmas fracture.
After in January, Kyari stated the refinery used to be being examined and could be able via the tip of the primary date.
All through the second one date of the occasion, the Shell Petroleum Building Corporate of Nigeria Restricted finished the provision of 475,000 barrels of crude oil to the power, elevating the expectancies of entrepreneurs that manufacturing would quickly get started.
This got here a couple of weeks next the NNPC stated in January that it used to be in search of to interact respected and credible operations and upkeep firms to run the refinery.
In mid-March, Kyari stated the Port Harcourt refinery would begin operations in two weeks, April.
“We are serving this country with honour and dignity. And we will make sure that the promises we make on the rehabilitation of these refineries will take place,” Kyari mentioned next he gave the impression prior to the Senate Advert-hoc Committee investigating the diverse turnaround upkeep tasks of the rustic’s refineries.
Because the April closing date elapsed, distant petroleum entrepreneurs advised The PUNCH that the power would start manufacturing via the tip of July.
Commenting in this next, NNPC’s spokesman, Soneye, stated that regulatory approvals from global our bodies have been the one obstacle stalling the operational graduation of the refinery.