Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum resources,
says the Port Harcourt refinery is on course to resume operations by the first
quarter of 2023.
Sylva said this while fielding questions from journalists
shortly after the facility tour in Eleme, Rivers, on Tuesday.
In 2021, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC)
Limited commenced the rehabilitation of the refinery — after the federal
executive council (FEC) approved the sum of $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation
exercise.
Speaking on the work progress of the rehabilitation
exercise, the minister said the plant would refine 60,000 barrels of crude per
stream day (bpsd) when it resumes operations.
“This project kicked off second quarter last year, and where
they are now is quite impressive. It is on schedule,” Sylva said.
“The commitment is to deliver 60,000 barrels per day from
this refinery by the first quarter of next year, and, of course, we are quite
happy.
The minister assured that the federal government would end
all forms of illegal oil bunkering going on in the Niger Delta.
Sylva said the modular refinery programme of the FG was also
on course, urging people to take advantage of the programme.
He, however, said modular refinery should be separated from
the illegal oil refining taking place in the Niger Delta, resulting in the soot
pandemic in Port Harcourt and its environs.
He said President Muhammadu Buhari had inaugurated a modular
refinery in Imo state last year.
Visited Portharcourt refinery alongside the Hon Minster Timipre Sylva, NNPC Ltd Board Chairman Sen Margery Okagdigbo and other Board members to assess status of our rehabilitation works. Grateful to our determined team. pic.twitter.com/fSYEaTjfRX
— Mele Kyari (@MKKyari) April 12, 2022
He added that similar projects were currently ongoing in
other parts of the country, including Rivers state.
“When people begin to equate modular refinery with the
criminality that is going, I think they don’t go together,” the minister said.
“The
criminality should be taken on. What is going on in Port Harcourt and some of
these areas causing problem is a criminal activity, and we cannot legalise that
criminal activity.
“We must stop that activity by law enforcement and that has
started. The programme of starting a modular refinery had always been on.
“Any law-abiding Nigerian who wants to invest in this area can access funding and the licenses from the federal government.”
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