Port-Harcourt refinery reveived over 475,000 barrels of crude oil from Shell

By Kenny EMMAN

Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) Limited said it has completed the supply of over 475,000 barrels of crude oil to the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC).

Shell Nigeria’s Spokesperson, Abimbola Essien-Nelson, who made the disclosure in a statement on Monday, said the supply was carried out through its Bonny Oil & Gas Terminal (BOGT).

According to her, the move was in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to increasing domestic refining capacity and making petroleum products more readily available in the country.

She explained that the BOGT had resumed supply last week after a prolonged outage of over five years, during which time the refinery underwent rehabilitation and integrity activities on its supply pipeline from Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal.

While describing the project as a significant step in the nation’s renewed efforts to utilise key infrastructures, the Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria and Managing Director of SPDC, Dr. Osagie Okunbor, said the future supplies from BOGT would be guided by the demand for the product.

On his part, Bonny Terminal Installation Manager, Osita Nnajiofor, said before implementing the supplies of the product to the refining company, an integrity test of pipelines was first conducted.

“The project teams first assured the integrity of pipelines relevant to NNPC Limited subsidiaries and integrity and maintenance activities on the BOGT refinery export pumps (which had been shut down for an extended period).

“These actions resulted in the successful and safe completion of the refinery supply with no harm to people, environment, or equipment.

“The recommencement of crude oil supply from the Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal to the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited is a significant achievement and a game-changer for the industry and the country and will support federal government’s aspiration of steady supply of petroleum products to the downstream market and other associated benefits to the economy of the nation,” he added.