The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has recorded another feat in the oil sector as the Port Harcourt refining company is expected to reach 95% of its 150,000 barrels per day petrol production. The development is also expected to reduce fuel import by 40%, Vanguard reports.
This was reported by Chrome Oil Services, one of the three contractors handling the rehabilitation of the refinery.
Mr. Bombey Adigbara, the project manager explained that the refinery had already commenced preliminary production.
“The job on the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU)s is about 98 percent completed and by next weekend, we will hand over and the FCCUs will be re-streamed and the refinery will be working at about 95 percent of its throughput.
“Three companies participated in this phased works and COS is the first, and we are still doing the work. At the moment, the refinery has started preliminary production, which means that it is Unit 1 that is producing.
“The Unit 3 is being handled by Chrome, and by the end of next week, we will hand over the plant and the FCCs will be streamed. When this is done, we will start experiencing high level of PMS production in Nigeria. So, all the critical jobs are being done by us.”
The company, however, complained about the effect of pipeline vandalism on the success of the project. Sir Emeka Offor, the executive chairman of Chrome group urged the federal government to ensure supervision to prevent pipeline vandalism.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has revealed that he will head the ministry of petroleum for one and a half years before he appoints a minster so as to reposition it.
