Port Harcourt Refinery Resumes Crude Oil Processing at 60% Capacity

The Port Harcourt Refinery has officially resumed crude oil processing, marking a significant milestone for Nigeria's energy sector.

This development was disclosed on Tuesday by Olufemi Soneye, the spokesperson for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Soneye announced that the refinery is operating at 60% capacity, processing approximately 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day (bpd). This is a significant step forward, although the refinery's full combined capacity stands at 250,000 bpd.

The refinery's restart comes after multiple missed deadlines, which had raised concerns about the pace of rehabilitation and its implications for Nigeria’s energy self-sufficiency.

NNPCL has yet to confirm when the refinery will ramp up operations to its full capacity. However, the commencement of processing is seen as a critical move toward reducing the country’s dependency on imported refined petroleum products.

The resumption is expected to improve local refining capabilities, potentially easing the pressure on foreign exchange reserves and addressing domestic fuel supply challenges.