Following outrage on the recurring delays in the completion of the Port Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation project, the contractor overseeing the facility rehabilitation has said it would soon release an update on when the project will be completed.
The contractor, Maire Tecnimont SpA, announced that it will provide details on the project’s completion by or before October 2.
Responding to a letter from human rights lawyer Femi Falana, who had inquired about the completion timeline for the refinery’s rehabilitation, the contractor, through the law firm Olajide Oyewole LLP, acknowledged Falana’s request and promised to give details next week.
The law firm stated that its client, Tecnimont, had received his letters dated September 17 and 24, 2024 regarding the contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and is considering the inquiries.
According to the law firm, “Our client is considering your letters and they intend to get back to you on or before 2 October 2024.”
The $1.5 billion engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery was signed between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) – before becoming a public company – and Tecnimont on April 6, 2021.
Timipre Sylva, the former minister of state for petroleum, had initially stated that the rehabilitation would occur in three phases, lasting 18, 24, and 44 months, respectively.
However, despite NNPC’s announcement on December 21, 2023, that the mechanical phase of the refinery’s turnaround maintenance was completed, and the facility was ready, there have been ongoing delays.
On March 15, Mele Kyari, NNPC’s group chief executive officer (GCEO), said that production would begin by the end of that month, but this target was missed.
Kyari later set a new deadline for early August, yet the refinery still did not commence production.
On 5 September, Adedapo Segun, NNPC’s executive vice-president of downstream operations, said that despite the mechanical completion in December 2023, further safety checks were necessary to ensure the refinery’s safe operation.
Segun emphasised that NNPC would not rush into production simply to meet a deadline if there were unresolved safety concerns.