Contractor to Confirm Port Harcourt Refinery Completion Date by October 2

Maire Tecnimont SpA, the contractor responsible for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery, has announced that it will provide an update on the project’s completion by or before 2 October.

The Italian firm communicated this through Olajide Oyewole LLP, a law firm, in response to a request from human rights lawyer Femi Falana for information on the project’s progress.

Falana had written to the company seeking clarity on when the rehabilitation would be finalised.

In its reply, Olajide Oyewole LLP conveyed that Maire Tecnimont is reviewing Falana’s letters, dated 17 and 24 September 2024, and plans to respond with the requested details by 2 October 2024.

The $1.5 billion engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the Port Harcourt refinery’s rehabilitation was signed on 6 April 2021 between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Tecnimont.

Timipre Sylva, the former minister of state for petroleum, had outlined that the project would be carried out in three phases over 18, 24, and 44 months.Despite this, the project has faced significant delays.

Although NNPC announced on 21 December 2023 that the mechanical phase of the refinery’s maintenance was complete and it was ready for operation, production did not commence as expected.

On 15 March, NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Mele Kyari, had indicated the refinery would begin operations by the end of the month, a deadline that was not met.

Kyari later set a new target for early August, but once again, production did not start.

On 5 September, Adedapo Segun, NNPC’s executive vice-president of downstream operations, explained that although the mechanical works were completed in December 2023, further safety checks were necessary to ensure smooth operations.

Segun stressed that if any safety concerns arise, NNPC cannot proceed with production simply to meet a deadline.