PH Refinery Takes Delivery of 1m Barrels of Crude, Receives License for Operation

• The NNPCL has supplied one million barrels of crude oil to the Port Harcourt Refinery, marking its readiness to commence refining petroleum products
• The one million barrels of crude oil supplied to the refinery are expected to yield around 170 million liters of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) and other refined products

Following the mechanical completion of the Old Port Harcourt Refinery in December last year, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) supplied one million barrels of crude oil to the plant. This supply marks the refinery’s readiness to begin refining petroleum products.

NNPCL is pushing for a phased commencement of operations, with a possible start date in August, due to increasing pressure for the plant to begin production before the end of the year. The crude oil supply was delivered in two tranches, with the latest arriving last Wednesday.

A barrel of crude oil can produce approximately 170 liters of refined petroleum products. Therefore, the one million barrels supplied to the Port Harcourt refinery are expected to yield around 170 million liters of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) and other refined products.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has issued the necessary license for the refinery’s operations. The Port Harcourt Refinery Complex (PHRC) rehabilitation project costs approximately $1.5 billion and is a national initiative encompassing the Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation, and commissioning phases.