We Will Confirm The Completion Date Of Refinery – PH Refinery Contractors
The contractor in charge of the Port Harcourt refinery’s rehabilitation, Maire Tecnimont SpA, has declared that it will provide information regarding the project’s conclusion by October 2 at the latest.
This response was sent via Olajide Oyewole LLP, a legal firm, in response to a letter that human rights attorney Femi Falana had sent asking for information regarding when the refinery’s rehabilitation will be finished.
The legal company responded to Falana’s request by saying that Tecnimont, one of its clients, had received his letters dated September 17 and 24, 2024 concerning the agreement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and was taking the information into consideration.
The legal firm stated, “Our client is considering your letters and they intend to get back to you on or before 2 October 2024.”
On April 6, 2021, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which had not yet gone public, and Tecnimont signed an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) deal for $1.5 billion for the restoration of the Port Harcourt refinery.
At first, Timipre Sylva, the former minister of state for petroleum, had said that the rehabilitation would take place in three stages, with each phase lasting 18, 24, and 44 months.
There have been continuous delays, though, even after NNPC declared on December 21, 2023, that the refinery’s turnaround work was finished and the facility was ready.
The group chief executive officer (GCEO) of NNPC, Mele Kyari, stated on March 15 that production will start by the end of the same month, although this deadline was not met.
Even after Kyari extended the deadline to the beginning of August, the refinery did not start producing.
Adedapo Segun, the executive vice-president of downstream operations at NNPC, stated on September 5 that more safety inspections were required to guarantee the refinery’s safe operation even after its mechanical completion in December 2023.
Segun emphasized that if there were outstanding safety concerns, NNPC would not rush into production just to make a deadline.
References and Citation
businessday.ng – Port Harcourt refinery contractor to confirm completion date by October 2
thecable.ng – ‘Before October 2’ — contractor to provide update on rehabilitation of PH refinery
dailytrust.com – Falana To Maire Tecnimont: Disclose Port Harcourt Refineries’ Completion Date Within 7 Days Or Face Legal Action
saharareporters.com – Falana To Maire Tecnimont: Disclose Port Harcourt Refineries’ Completion Date Within 7 Days Or Face Legal Action
