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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

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— 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.”