The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has announced that crude oil processing has officially begun at the Port Harcourt Refinery in Rivers State.
According to Vanguard, Femi Soneye, the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, shared the update on Tuesday.
Soneye disclosed that the refinery is set to operate at 60 percent capacity, processing 60,000 barrels per day (bpd).
“Today marks a monumental achievement for Nigeria as the Port Harcourt Refinery officially commences crude oil processing. This groundbreaking milestone signifies a new era of energy independence and economic growth for our nation,” Soneye said on Tuesday.
“Hearty congratulations to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the NNPC Board, and the exceptional leadership of GCEO Mele Kyari for their unwavering commitment to this transformative project. Together, we are reshaping Nigeria’s energy future!”
Soneye added that truck loading will commence on Tuesday (today), adding that the NNPCL is also “working tirelessly to bring the Warri Refinery back online soon.”
Here are nine completed refineries in Nigeria
1. Edo Refinery and PetroChemical Company: This project is a wholly owned subsidiary of AIPCC Energy. It operates in two phases with capacities of 1,000 BPSD and 5,000 BPSD and has been commissioned and is fully operational. This refinery is one of the successful modular refineries in Nigeria designed to improve domestic refining capabilities and reduce dependency on foreign oil imports.
2. Duport Midstream: Located in Edo State, this is a 2,500-BPD refinery that was completed in 2022 and started production in 2023. It aims to support the country’s energy needs by enhancing local refining capacity and easing transportation challenges related to crude oil distribution.
3. Walter Smith refinery: The Walter Smith refinery is a 5,000-bpd oil refinery located in Imo State. The refinery started operations in 2020, with plans to expand its capacity to 50,000 bpd in the coming years. This refinery is part of Nigeria's growing effort to improve its refining infrastructure and reduce the cost of petroleum product imports.
4. OPAC Refinery, Delta State: This 10,000-bpd modular refinery located in Kwale, Delta state, was completed in 2021 as part of the federal government’s effort to improve local crude oil refining. The OPAC Refinery’s goal is to contribute to increasing the national refining capacity while creating job opportunities and fostering economic development in the region.
5. Niger Delta Petroleum Refinery (Aradel): The initial 1,000 bbls/day AGO topping plant was commissioned in 2010. Currently, the 3-train, 11,000 bbls/day modular refinery produces Automotive Gas Oil, Dual Purpose Kerosene, Marine Diesel Oil, High-Pour Fuel Oil, and Naphtha. This refinery represents another step forward in Nigeria’s bid to expand its refining sector and boost domestic production of refined petroleum products.
6. Old Port-Harcourt refinery: Built and commissioned in 1965 with a refining capacity of 60,000 barrels of oil per day. In March 2021, the federal government awarded the repair of the refinery to Tecnimont SPA, an Italian company that would carry out repair works in phases. In December last year, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Sen. Keineken Lokpobiri, announced the mechanical completion and flare startup of the refinery. This refinery is a significant asset for Nigeria's refining industry, and its revival will be critical for boosting the country's refining capacity.
7. Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company (WRPC): The 125,000-bpd capacity WRPC was built and commissioned in 1978 at a cost of around $478 million. The refinery has never achieved full capacity utilization as production has declined steadily except in the early 1990s, during which there was a brief upswing in production. In 2021, the federal government awarded the contract for the repair of the decrepit refinery to Saipem SPA at a cost of $897 million. This refinery is an important part of the country's refining network and will play a crucial role in meeting domestic energy needs once fully restored.
8. New Port-Harcourt refinery: In 1985, the federal government commissioned the New Port Harcourt refinery, built at a cost of $850 million. It has the capacity to refine 150,000 barrels of oil daily. The commissioning of the New Port Harcourt refinery increased the total refining capacity of the plants to 210,000 barrels per day. The New Port Harcourt refinery remains one of the most significant refining assets in Nigeria, vital to the country's energy security and efforts to reduce its reliance on imported refined products.
9. Dangote Refinery: This is a 650,000-bpd refinery located in Lekki, Lagos state. The refinery cost around $19 billion and was commissioned in May 2023. Oil refining started in late December 2023, and it started dispensing products to local and international markets as of May 2024. The Dangote Refinery is expected to revolutionize Nigeria’s oil refining sector by dramatically reducing the country's dependence on imported fuel and creating a major export market for refined petroleum products.