Maire Tecnimont S.p.A. (Milan, Italy; www.mairetecnimont.com) announced that its subsidiaries Tecnimont S.p.A. and Tecnimont Nigeria Ltd. have been awarded a contract for the “Phase 1 Rehabilitation Project” by Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), to carry out a complete integrity check and equipment inspections of the Port Harcourt Refinery Complex, owned by Port Harcourt Refinery Co. Ltd. (PHRC), a subsidiary of NNPC.
The Phase 1 Rehabilitation contract is worth approximately $50 million and entails a 6-month assessment at Site with relevant engineering and planning activities for the Port Harcourt Refinery complex, in Port Harcourt, located in the Rivers State, in Nigeria. The complex is composed of two refineries totaling an overall capacity of approximately 210,000 bpd (barrel per day). The equipment inspections and integrity check are preparatory to a second phase (the “Phase 2 Rehabilitation Project”) which entails a full rehabilitation of the complex, aimed at restoring the refining capacity to a minimum 90% of capacity utilization. The second phase, subject to the successful completion of the integrity check, will be carried out on an EPC basis by Tecnimont and Tecnimont Nigeria, in collaboration with a partner.
The two-phase revamping project is strategic to the development of the Nigerian hydrocarbons downstream sector, by ramping up its in-country refining capacity, while upgrading processes and ensuring higher-quality, value-added products.
Pierroberto Folgiero, Maire Tecnimont Chief Executive Officer, commented: “With this first significant step in Nigeria we confirm the soundness of our business strategy, as one of the key elements is to assist our clients in their revamping initiatives, thanks to our technological mindset. Moreover, this contract is a strategic step to enhance our footprint in Sub-Saharan Africa, a market with excellent downstream prospects given its demographics, a fast-growing middle class, and the necessity to unlock and retain locally added value by processing natural resources. We are eager to start building up a mutual beneficial relationship with a leading player such as NNPC.”