Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva says the ministry had begun putting the Port Harcourt Refinery and Petrochemical Company in good shape.

Sylva has also disclosed that the rehabilitation of Warri and Kaduna refineries will commence soon.

Announcing this in an address at the 2021 convocation of the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, Delta State, the minister said the exercise was in response to “a recent approval given by the Federal Executive Council for the comprehensive rehabilitation of all the refineries in Nigeria.”

The minister who was represented at the ceremony by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Nasir Gwarzo did not give a timeline for completion of works on the Warri and Kaduna refineries.

He however affirmed that the ministry was working to secure approval of the Federal Executive Council for comprehensive rehabilitation of all refineries in the country.

Speaking further, he disclosed that the Federal Government seriously working towards meeting the mandate to increase crude oil production in the country to three million barrels per day.

“Today, we are producing about 1.3 million barrels per day,” the minister stated.

On the recent passage of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the minister described the Act as “a watershed moment for Nigeria.”

He said, “The Act provides legal, governance and fiscal framework for the Nigerian petroleum industry, the development of host communities and other related matters. The President has also approved the constitution of a screening committee to oversee the process of implementation of the PIA. The primary responsibility of the screening committee shall be to guide the effective and timely implementation of the PIA.

Speaking earlier, the Principal and Chief Executive of the PTI, Dr Henry Adimula, presented a total of 2,297 graduands from the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 academic sessions who received their diplomas and certificates at the ceremony.