THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, said the new Port Harcourt refinery maintenance has reached more than 90 per cent.

The new Port Harcourt refinery has 150,000 barrels per day, bpd capacity, while the old refinery has 60,000 bpd, bringing the refinery's total capacity to 210,000 bpd.

However, Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPCL, Mele Kyari, disclosed this while addressing the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC leaders, who visited the facility in Rivers state, yesterday.

NNPCL's executive vice-president, downstream, Isiyaku Abudulai, who represented Kyari at the event, said the company remains committed to its completion.

He said: "When the rehabilitation is completed, it will be up and running and to the state of art compared to any refinery around the world. So, there will be compliance to health and safety compliance, HSC.

"All the assurances of compliance will be made. And that is why a total rehabilitation is being made. From the contractor's view, Tecnimont SPA, and from the reports they send us, they are up to over 90 percent completed and we will deal with that as soon as possible.

"We are following up too to ensure that we get value and that we have a combined 60,000 bpsd and 150,000 bpsd to get 210,000 bpsd, so that that will support our refining processes, our products, and with the multiple effects that we have on our refining products, finished products, that we desire in this country."

Kyari, who stressed the importance of regular rehabilitation, said: "And that also involves looking at the processes and the assets, replacing those aging items that need to be changed and ensuring that the refinery is up and doing.

"I think that's the fundamental, and as I said, we are looking at the best O&M teams around the world to support that process."

Recently, the NNPCL said the old plant with 60,000 barrels per day capacity is currently producing at 90 per cent throughput which translates to Straight-Run Gasoline (Naphtha) blended into 1.4 million litres of petrol, aside other products like diesel and kerosene.

A statement by NNPC Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Mr Olufemi Soneye explained that both the old and the new plants at the refinery share a number of facilities including storage tanks and power plants.