BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) Limited, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), is Nigeria’s pioneer oil refinery located at Alesa Eleme, Rivers State. The complex comprises two distinct units: the old refinery commissioned in 1965 with an initial capacity of 35,000 barrels per stream day (subsequently upgraded to 60,000 barrels), and the new plant commissioned in 1989 with a capacity of 150,000 barrels.
With a combined installed capacity of 210,000 barrels per day, PHRC was designed to process Nigerian crude (such as Bonny Light) into essential petroleum products, including Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO/Diesel), Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). Following periods of sub-optimal utilization, the Federal Government approved comprehensive rehabilitation and modernization projects to restore the facility's infrastructure, optimize operational performance, and significantly reduce the nation's reliance on imported refined petroleum products.
