Billy Gills-Harry, the National President of PETROAN has said that new parts installed at the Port Harcourt refinery can ensure at least 78% efficiency.
He stated this in a video report compiled by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on the progress report for the Port Harcourt refinery rehabilitation.
The President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Gills-Harry also mentioned that he is convinced that both refineries in Port Harcourt will come onstream soon.
He said:
- “The one that can come onstream as quickly as possible from my observation, is the one in bay 5, which is the old refinery that is doing about 60,000 to 69,000 barrels per day and from what I saw today, it is all new parts. If the parts are brand new, it means it can work at least at 78% efficiency.”
According to the NNPCL report, cable fittings, fabrication work and replacement of fire-water systems at the refinery are ongoing. Meanwhile, a massive desalter, a shiny silver tank that removes salt from crude oil has been installed. Desalting is the first process of crude refining.
Note that in a previous report compiled by the NNPCL, it was stated that the control room is up and running, and efforts are underway to power the entire facility.
Substation 1, the main power source for both old and new refineries, has been energized and will soon receive electricity from gas turbine generators by mid-December 2023. This will supply power to different sections across the refinery complex.
The Eleme and Okrika context
According to the report, the Eleme and Okrika host communities in Rivers State have been supportive of the rehabilitation process of the refinery, keeping the peace for work to proceed. The report also stated that the youths of Eleme and Okrika make up a major percentage of the workforce at the Port Harcourt refinery rehabilitation site.
HRH Emperor John Nkpe, the paramount ruler at Alesa, Eleme Rivers state said that from the monitoring he has done at the refinery rehabilitation site, the work has never recorded a stall in the process and this makes him believe that the refinery is in good progress because every time, new parts and equipment are being brought to the site for fixing.
Chief Anthony Obari, the Joint Community Relationship Committee (JCRC) Chairman, representing the Eleme community said that the refinery will soon be completed, and the rehabilitation project has brought back peace to both the Eleme and Okrika communities and people from the communities are ensuring that peace continues so that the refinery rehabilitation process can be completed in record time.
Meanwhile, Chief Tamuno Akalugbo, the JCRC Chairman, representing the Okrika community said the refinery is due to begin operations soon. According to him, when the refinery is completed, both communities will gain a lot from its business operations which will attract a lot to the host communities.
Refinery commissioning is stage by stage
Chief Sunny Nkpe, the Traditional Prime Minister of the Alesa Council of Chiefs who has over 20 years’ experience in refinery operations said that the powering of the substations indicates that this is the concluding part of the refinery rehabilitation.
However, he also said that refineries are not commissioned at once, but stage by stage until the refinery picks up.
He said:
- “Even when you see a flare in the refinery, it does not mean that it is in production. There is a lot to do at first, including test runs, ensuring that there is proper calibration, making sure that the equipment is fit to take crude oil feed and other activities.”
Very Nice plan