Inside Nigeria: Refinery kickoff a done deal – Marketers reveal

Voice Air Media, News Update

Nigeria’s oil marketers have reignited hope that the Port Harcourt Refinery would commence commercial production in the coming weeks.

The national president of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry disclosed this in an exclusive interview on Monday, DAILY POST reports.

He said his recent visit to the 250 barrels per day refinery showed readiness to produce petroleum products in commercial quantity.

Gillis-Harry explained that the full-scale kickoff of Port Harcourt Refinery and Dangote Refinery would guarantee an end to fuel queues in Nigeria.

“Port Harcourt Refinery is gearing up to be on stream to produce Petroleum in commercial quantity. We pray and hope that in the coming days or weeks, this comes to light. I went personally to the refinery. I saw efforts in place to ensure the refinery works”, he said.

In a similar interview with an oil and gas expert, Zakka Bala, he said the hope for Nigeria’s energy security lies with the revitalization of its Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries.

According to him, Dangote Refinery is in the business to make a profit but the government-owned refineries are to provide services for Nigerians.

According to him, the government must not allow those who do not want the country’s national refineries to succeed.

“For me, I am bothered about the government-owned refinery. Dangote Refinery is a private business. The company is built to maximize profits. We need to understand why private businesses are profit-centered.

“The moment the private refineries start collecting crude allocation from national refineries, they will never want the refineries to come up again”, he told DAILY POST.

Recall that in July 2024, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari projected that the Port Harcourt refinery would commence operation in August this year.

NNPCL had earlier announced March and July 2024 dates for the commencement of the refinery after its mechanical completion in December last year.

This comes after the Nigerian government in 2021 approved $1.5 billion for the turnaround maintenance of the refinery.

Recently, Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman of the Senate Committee investigating alleged economic sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry called for a probe on the $1.5 billion for the maintenance of Port Harcourt refinery.

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