FG to commence rehabilitation of PH refinery

L-R: Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, Bayo Ojulari; Chairman Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources Upstream, Albert Akpan; Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor; and Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Gas, Ed Ubong, at the presentation of the Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility Award to Shell Companies in Nigeria at the 2020 edition of the Nigeria International Petroleum Summit in Abuja on Monday.

The Federal Government said it will commence rehabilitation of Port Harcourt refinery while Warri and Kaduna refineries’ rehabilitation would be on hold.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, stated this during a media briefing at the Nigerian International Petroleum Summit (NIPS2020) in Abuja.

The Minister explained that he advised against having the rehabilitation of all the three refineries located in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna simultaneously.

On when the rehabilitation of the two other refineries will commence, the Minister said, there was no timeline scheduled for others but assured that they will commence in no distant time after the completion of works on Port Harcourt refinery.

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According to him, ”I cannot give a timeline when repair works will commence on the other two refineries. But definitely, we will come back to them at a later date.

“During our strategic meeting with the NNPC, I advised them against starting the rehabilitation of the three refineries’ at once so that we don’t appear to be biting more than we can chew, hence the temporary suspension of repair works on Warri and Kaduna refineries.

“So Port Harcourt refinery will come first before others,” he said.

On Niger Delta Development, the Minister said it remained regrettable that the region has not witnessed the level of growth it should have considering the huge investments that has been made by the Federal Government.

He said the creation of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has not translated to the desired level of development, urging its management to do more for the region and its people.

He said the Federal Government, as part of efforts to ensure that the region witnesses significant development, created the NDDC, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and provision of 13 per cent oil derivation for oil-producing states.

“Regrettably, all these institutions have not, in any way, translated to fortunes by the people because the region is highly volatile,” he said.

He, however, warned that should the people not desist from making the region hostile, efforts of Government to turnaround the fortunes of the region will not translate to wealth.

Sylva also noted that only an industrialised region would bring about collective wealth for the people because such investments would be capable of employing its teeming youth in their thousands.

He assured that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources would ensure that some major Final Investments Decisions (FIDs), especially on Bonga South West and Brass fertilizer would be taken in no distant time.

It would be recalled that the NNPC had, in September 2019, said the nation’s refineries located in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna will refine crude oil at optimum capacity come 2022.

NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, had disclosed this during a facilities tour of the Port-Harcourt Refining and Petrochemical Company, stated that full rehabilitation of the plants would commence January 2020.

Daramola Oluwafunmilayo