According to the report from the Vanguard, The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, has confirmed that the Port Harcourt refinery will begin producing refined petroleum products in August, while the Kaduna and Warri refineries will start by December. Kyari made this announcement during an emergency session with the National Assembly’s joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Finance, led by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East).
Kyari assured that by the end of the year, Nigeria will be a net exporter of petroleum products. He stated, “Yes, this country, as we have said, will be a net exporter of petroleum products by the end of this year. We are very optimistic that by December this country will be a net exporter. That means a combination of production coming from us and also from the Dangote refinery and other smaller producing companies.”
He explained the current status of the refineries, noting, “We did have mechanical completion of the Port Harcourt refinery, which means that every technical work required to get the refinery to work has been completed. We are already introducing hydrocarbon under a hot situation, and I’m very sure that by early August, the Port Harcourt refinery will start producing products. The Kaduna and Warri refineries will be operational by December.”
Kyari emphasized the technical nature of refinery operations, stating, “We do our best to set dates for a refinery start-up, but it is when you get to start-up that you see the real challenges, even for a new refinery. This is a technical process. We are not lying to you, Mr. Chairman. This is very normal in refinery operations.”
In their remarks, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, represented by his Deputy, Economic Policy Directorate, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, all agreed that despite the current economic challenges, Nigeria is emerging stronger. The CBN specifically noted that Nigeria was overcoming its economic difficulties….Seë_Morë