…Commend Kyari’s Foresight, Says Criticism Misguided
Amid ongoing scepticism and criticism surrounding the revamp of the Port Harcourt Refinery, former Group Managing Directors (GMDs) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited have commended the efforts of the current management team, led by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC Ltd, Mr. Mele Kyari.
After inspecting the refinery during their Former NNPC GCEOs Forum in Port Harcourt, the ex-GMDs described the achievement as “magic.”
Speaking on behalf of the group, Dr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki, who served as GMD from 1999 to 2003, explained that many critics failed to understand the magnitude of work involved.
He clarified that this was not a routine Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) but a full rehabilitation that modernized a plant originally built in 1965 into a state-of-the-art facility by 2024.
“Some of those who criticize do not understand the extent of the work carried out. They mistake it for the usual Turnaround Maintenance.
“This is a complete rehabilitation—transforming a plant built in 1965 into a modern one in 2024. We appreciate the effort,” Obaseki stated.
On petroleum pricing, he emphasized that petrol pump prices are influenced by crude oil prices and called for public understanding.
He hailed the achievement as a testament to courage and dedication, urging Kyari to remain focused on delivering value to Nigerians.
Other former GMDs present at the meeting included Chamberlain Oyibo, Funsho Kupolokun, and Andrew Yakubu, who collectively lauded the success of the project.
The refinery, located in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria, first began operating in 1965. It is the country’s oldest and biggest among the three government-owned refineries.
The site includes a refinery processing 60,000 barrels per day that was built in 1965, along with a 150,000 bpd unit that was installed in 1989. The Port Harcourt refinery, along with other state-owned refineries, has been operating well below its total capacity of 210,000 bpd for many years due to inefficiencies and maintenance issues.
This lack of efficiency has greatly led to Nigeria depending more on imported refined petroleum products, even though it is the biggest producer of crude oil in Africa.
The multi-phase rehabilitation project is expected to be finished by 2025. The mechanical completion phase, called the first phase, was completed by NNPC Ltd. in December 2023.
The updated refinery features high-tech components like the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU), Vacuum Distillation Unit (VDU), Naphtha Hydrotreating Unit (NHTU), and Continuous Catalyst Regeneration (CCR) Unit, among other units.
Moreover, the facility includes a butamer isomerization unit, an alkylation unit, as well as units for hydrogen purification, fuel gas vaporization, sour water, and caustic treatment.
The older section of the refinery includes a CDU, a Catalytic Reforming Unit (CRU), and a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) facility.
The complex is powered by four turbo-generators, each generating 14 MW of electricity per hour and four boilers capable of producing 120 tonnes of steam per hour