The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has called for Expression of Interest (EOI) from qualified oil and gas firms to operate and maintain the Port Harcourt refinery. NNPCL said in a public notice that the process would help improve dependability and sustain Nigeria’s fuel supply and energy security requirements. The ‘’Operate and Maintain’ model was ‘one of the key requirements by the lender’’ for the Port Harcourt project.

The Public Notice said ‘’ The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) limited is seeking to engage reputable and credible Operations and Maintenance  (O&M) companies to operate and maintain one of its refineries, Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) to ensure reliability and sustainability towards meeting the nation’s fuel supply and energy security obligations’’.

NNPCL announced in December, the ‘’mechanical completion’’ of 60,000 bpd part of the 210,000 capacity plant, after several years of abandonment. The refinery is expected to begin to have its products in market anytime from the end of this month.

In 2021, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari said the Federal Government was considering a plan to become a minority shareholder in the beleaguered oil refineries after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) signed off a $1.5B rehabilitation plan, funded largely by Afrexim bank as well as from internally generated Revenue IGR by NNPC for the Port Harcourt refining complex which has a capacity of 210,000 bpd.

The Monday Notice however stated that any company applying to operate a d maintain the plant must present its audited accounts between 2019 and 2022 as well as demonstrate a minimum average turnover of $2b between 2019 and 2022.

The cost of rehabilitation of the Refinery costs $1.5b and covers Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Construction, Installation and commissioning phases.

Culled from Daily Post