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DMEA CommentaRy DMEA
on the required rehabilitation, which was said to be designed to restore output to at least 90% of nameplate capacity.
The second phase will be fulfilled in collab- oration with an unnamed ‘partner’, which was later revealed to be Japan’s JgC, which with Ita- ly’s Saipem was the original builder of the larger of the two Port Harcourt refineries.
Key to Nigerian efforts to improve its down- stream sector is the private 650,000 bpd Dan- gote refinery, which is under construction by the local Dangote group. The facility at Lekki near Lagos is set to be Africa’s largest, and could transform the country from a fuels importer to a net exporter.
However, Dangote group executive director Devakumar edwin said last week that the refin- ery would not reach mechanical completion until the end of 2020, with output ramping up thereafter.
The latest delays came about because of issues with the nearby port of Apapa, through which equipment for the facility was being transported.
Kyari was touring the PHrC facility just a few days after his return from Houston, where he attended the gastech conference.
During a briefing at the event, he reiterated that NNPC remained committed to optimising the use of Nigeria’s natural gas resources, as well as its oil.
“Nigeria is more of a gas nation than oil and for us, gas is the future,” he commented. “We have therefore committed to providing the nec- essary support required to ensure Nigeria takes itsrightfulplaceintheinternationalgasmarket.”
NNPC will play a key role in promoting gasification initiatives, developing Nigeria’s gas infrastructure and expanding the domestic gas market, he said. Part of this process will involve encouraging investors to look for opportunities to work with partners such as the Nigeria LNg consortium, he stated.
“There are a lot of opportunities within Nige- ria’s LNg value chain,” Kyari remarked. “I would like to assure you that NLNg is the best destina- tion for investment.”
Week 38 26•September•2019 w w w . N E W S B A S E . c o m P5
