The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC Ltd yesterday said it would complete test runs at the Port Harcourt refinery this month, in a major step towards resuming operations five years after the plant was shut
“Testing will conclude shortly, ensuring the refinery’s efficient operation. That phase will be completed this month,” NNPC spokesperson Femi Soneye said to Reuters.
The refinery, which is undergoing an upgrade, will begin by processing 60,000 barrels per day, and NNPC expects to operate at the full capacity of 210,000 barrels per day later this year.
Port Harcourt is among Nigerian state-owned refineries that have been mothballed for years, but which the government is trying to revive to end the country’s reliance on imported refined produce .