The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association, PENGASSAN9, has tipped Port Harcourt Refining Company, PHRC, for Turn Around Maintenance, TAM, as it is key to the reduction of refined products importation into Nigeria.

PENGASSAN said that PHRC is also key to increasing and improving local refining capacity in the country; and  conserving the nation’s foreign reserves and enhancing the naira value.

Commenting on the importance of the refinery and why it needs urgent TAM, PENGASSAN, Rivers State Chairman, Comrade Fidelis Ighodaye, said  PHRC is made up of two refineries.

“The old refinery commissioned in 1965 with current nameplate capacity of 60,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd) and the new refinery commissioned in 1989 with an installed capacity of 150,000 bpsd.

“This brings the combined crude processing capacity of the Port Harcourt Refinery to 210,000 bpsd. It has five process areas, with the new refinery made up of Areas 1 to 4, while the old refinery is Area 5.

“PHRC produces varieties of products including Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Kerosene (aviation and domestic), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO – diesel), Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO) and High Pour Fuel Oil (HPFO), unleaded gasoline produced by PHRC meets international standard,” Ighodaye said.