The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Mele Kyari has disclosed that petroleum product from the Port Harcourt refinery will begin to deliver in two weeks time.
Kyari also revealed that Warri refinery was almost ready too, while the Kaduna refinery would be completed and delivered into production latest by December this year. Kyari stated all this today when he appeared before the Senate to brief them on the progress of work so far.
Meanwhile, the Senate has disowned the alleged report of a fraud in the Turn Around Maintenance of the nation’s refineries currently being undertaken by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited.
Shortly after meeting with the Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, APC, Anambra-South spoke with journalist who led Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Turnaround Maintenance of the country’s four refineries, Kyari disclosed that the rehabilitation of the refinery had been completed, having passed its “completion mechanical” procedure.
The lawmaker said, “The Completion mechanical means that you are done with your rehabilitation work, now you are to test if this completion is okay.
“As for Warri refinery, we have also completed the mechanical works on it and it is undergoing the regulatory compliance processes that we are doing with our regulator.
“This also will be completed and it will be ready. “Kaduna will be ready by December; though we have not reached that stage (of Port Harcourt and Warri) with Kaduna.”
Kyari explained that so far there were no challenges recorded with the pipelines to deliver crude to the refineries, as the existing lines were fully pressurised to deliver crude.
According to him, “All crude lines are active and have actually delivered over 450,000 barrels into Port Harcourt refinery.
“We are confident of the integrity of it. Yes, there may be security issues, but also the government is responding to the situation.”
Senator Ubah informed his colleagues that he already had some documents on the TAM and that no fraudulent practice had been discovered in the exercise, explaining that much progress is being made on the rehabilitation of the refineries.
The lawmaker in his statement said, “I have seen some documents indicating that something is being done and there is nothing to suggest that there is a foul play in the exercise.”
He said, members of his Committee would soon visit all the refineries with a view to ascertaining the progress of work so that a comprehensive report would be presented to the hallow chamber.
Member of the adhoc committee, Senator Barinada Mpigi, PDP, Rivers South East urged the NNPCL management to pay close attention to the security challenges prevalent in the oil rich region saying that when the operation commences, there shall be no disruption in the transmission pipes.
