The Port Harcourt Refinery’s Old Wing has resumed operations, producing 60,000 barrels of crude oil daily, according to the Presidency. This development is expected to significantly boost petroleum product distribution in the country.
The Special Adviser on Public Communications and Orientation to the President, Sunday Dare, made this known via his official X handle on Tuesday.
“The Port Harcourt Refinery has two wings. The Old Refinery comes on stream today with an installed production capacity of 60,000 barrels per day of crude oil,” Dare stated. “About 200 trucks are expected to load products daily from the refinery, renewing the hopes of Nigeria,” he added.
Earlier, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) confirmed the commencement of crude oil processing at the government-owned facility, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s energy sector.
The refinery’s resumption follows years of inactivity and multiple missed deadlines. In 2021, the Federal Government allocated $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of the refinery, which had been shut down since 2019.
Despite being a major crude oil producer, Nigeria has long relied on the importation of petroleum products due to inadequate local refining capacity. The recent operational restart is expected to ease supply constraints, especially following President Bola Tinubu’s removal of the subsidy regime in 2023, which led to a sharp rise in petrol prices.
