After years of delays and broken promises, the Port Harcourt Refinery is set to resume crude oil processing at 60 per cent capacity, processing 60,000 barrels per day.
Originally scheduled for completion in 2019, the refinery’s refurbishment had faced setbacks since 1999. This left Nigeria’s oil sector struggling despite elaborate maintenance efforts and expense.
Will this new start bring lasting change, or will the cycle of neglect persist?
The Port Harcourt refinery in Nigeria has finally set a date to resume crude oil production after officials missed deadlines for years and completed a lengthy rehabilitation process.
The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Femi Soneye, confirmed that the refinery would operate at 60 per cent capacity, processing 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil.
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However, this moment of progress comes after Nigeria has spent vast amounts of resources on maintenance efforts that have only left the refineries in poorer condition.
Meanwhile, those overseeing the projects have grown wealthier, while the refineries continued to decline.
The refurbishment of the Port Harcourt refinery, originally scheduled for completion in 2019, has faced repeated delays.
What officials intended as a swift upgrade in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta has turned into a series of unfulfilled promises, with each administration since 1999 failing to meet expectations.
As the refinery prepares to restart operations, many wonder whether this time will be different or if the cycle of delays and disappointment will continue.
Only time will tell.
