The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two Chinese companies to advance the restart and expansion of Warri, Port Harcourt refineries.
The chief corporate communications officer of NNPC Ltd, Andy Odeh, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
Mr Odeh said the MoU, signed on Thursday, 30 April in Jiaxing City, China, establishes a framework for collaboration through a potential Technical Equity Partnership (TEP) with Sanjiang Chemical Company Limited and Xingcheng (Fuzhou) Industrial Park Operation and Management Co. Ltd.
He said the MoU was signed by the Group CEO, NNPC Ltd, Bashir Ojulari; Chairman, Sanjiang Chemical Company, Guan Jianzhong and Chairman of Xinganchen (Fuzhou) Industrial Park Operation and Management Co. Ltd, Bill Bi.
He said the potential framework would cover completion of outstanding work at the two refineries, together with operating and maintaining both facilities to achieve best-in-class, sustainable performance.
The NNPC said planned expansion and upgrades would elevate both facilities to cleaner, more profitable product standards.
It added that the potential collaboration also contemplates expanding the refineries’ petrochemical capacities and harnessing gas and downstream opportunities through the development of co-located, gas-based industrial hubs.
Speaking shortly after the signing, Mr Ojulari, described the MoU execution as a significant milestone, following more than six months of concerted engagement between the technical and management teams of NNPC and the two Chinese partners, Sanjiang and Xinganchen.
“All parties recognise mutually beneficial opportunities for the development and long-term sustainable profitability of NNPC’s refining assets in Nigeria, and the collective weight required for success,” Mr Ojulari said.
He further stated that the MoU is an important step on the journey towards identifying potential technical equity partner(s) to restart and expand NNPC’s refineries, and to explore opportunities in co-located petrochemicals and gas-based industries.
“The MoU reflects the parties’ shared intent to progress discussions in good faith, with any definitive arrangements to follow in due course and subject to customary approvals,” the NNPC said.
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The refineries
Nigeria has four state-run refineries, including two in Port Harcourt, which together form the Port Harcourt Refining Company, with a combined installed capacity of 210,000 barrels per day (bpd).
The Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited has an installed capacity of 110,000 bpd, while the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited has an installed capacity of 125,000 bpd.
All the four refineries have a combined installed capacity of 445,000 bpd.
The Warri Refinery, which was reopened in December 2024, shut down in January last year on account of safety issues. In November 2024, the Port Harcourt refinery commenced production after a long period of rehabilitation, but in May 2025, NNPC announced the shutdown of the refinery.
In February, Mr Ojulari, said the state-owned refineries were shut down because they were not commercially viable in their current condition.
