By Our Correspondent
The Group Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd (NNPCL), Mele Kyari has assured Nigerians that the Port Harcourt Refinery will begin production in the next two weeks.
Kyari stated this Thursday after a meet with the Senate Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the various Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) projects of Nigerian refineries st the National Assembly, Abuja.
According to him “in the next two weeks are to start producing more products. We did mechanical completion of Port Harcourt, that was what we said in December. That means we are done with our rehabilitation work. Now you are to test if this completion is okay”.
On Warri Refinery he said they have also completed the mechanical works on it and “it is undergoing the regulatory compliance processes that we are doing with our regulator. This also will be completed and it will be ready.
However, he said Kaduna will be ready by December they have not reached that stage attained in P/H and Warri with Kaduna Refinery yet.
He said all crude lines are active and have actually delivered over 450,000 barrels into Port Harcourt refinery, adding that they are “confident of the integrity of it.
“Yes, there may be security issues, but also government is responding to the situation” adding that they are happy to work with the committee and promised not to hide anything from them.
Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Senator Ifeanyi Uba (Anambra South) said the committee was satisfied with the information the NNPCL has provided for them and also they have gotten a very fair understanding of when to go for oversight function of the refineries. “I believe everything is positively on track.
“We want the refineries to work and we have gotten firm promise from NNPCL on when they will begin operation. The next step is to visit the refineries and assess the progress.
Meanwhile, the committee will again meet with Kyari on Tuesday next on crude oil theft.
It is a common knowledge that crude oil theft has impacted negatively making it difficult for Nigeria to meet her OPEC production quota.
