The Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) Ltd in Rivers State has officially begun processing crude oil, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s energy landscape.
This announcement was made by Femi Soneye, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), on Tuesday.
“Today is a historic day for Nigeria as the Port Harcourt Refinery commences crude oil processing,” Soneye stated. “This achievement signals a new era of energy self-sufficiency and economic progress for our nation.”
He extended congratulations to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the NNPC Board, and the outstanding leadership of the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Mele Kyari, for their unwavering dedication to the success of this transformative project. “Together, we are reshaping Nigeria’s energy future,” Soneye added.
In addition, Soneye announced that truck loading operations would also commence on Tuesday, further emphasizing NNPCL’s commitment to revitalizing the country’s refining sector. He also reassured the public that efforts are underway to bring the Warri Refinery back into operation in the near future.
The announcement comes after years of missed deadlines for the refinery’s reopening. Following his appointment in August 2023, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) Heineken Lokpobiri had projected that the Port Harcourt refinery would resume production in September, though that timeline was later extended to December of the same year. In March 2024, NNPCL’s Group Managing Director Mele Kyari stated that production would begin in April.
“We remain committed to the successful rehabilitation of this refinery, along with our other refineries and key investments aimed at boosting Nigeria’s refining capacity,” Kyari said during a site inspection of the PHRC plant. “We are optimistic that by 2024, Nigeria will become a net exporter of refined petroleum products.”
In 2021, the Federal Government approved $1.5 billion (about €1.2 billion) to refurbish the PHRC, which had been shut down since 2019. Despite being one of the world’s largest oil producers, Nigeria has struggled with insufficient refining capacity, relying on the importation of petroleum products for many years. This has led to significant foreign exchange outflows, especially during periods of oil price volatility.
The commencement of operations at the Port Harcourt Refinery follows the recent launch of the Dangote Refinery, which began producing petrol in September 2024. Dangote Petroleum Refinery has also begun producing diesel and aviation fuel, marking another significant development in Nigeria’s refining sector.
With both the Port Harcourt and Dangote refineries now operational, there is hope that these facilities will help mitigate the impact of the fuel subsidy removal, which has seen domestic fuel prices soar from around N200 to over N1,000 per litre. These milestones represent a promising step towards Nigeria’s energy independence and a more sustainable future for its petroleum sector.
