NNPC to outsource Port Harcourt refinery to private firm, seeks applicants

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says it is seeking credible operations and maintenance (O&M) companies to operate and maintain the Port Harcourt Refining Company.

The development comes three weeks after NNPC completed the mechanical phase of the turnaround maintenance at the refinery.

In a statement on its X page on Monday, the national oil company said outsourcing the maintenance of the refinery is to ensure sustainability towards meeting the country’s fuel supply and energy security needs.

According to NNPC, the operations and maintenance contract scope of work includes refinery business processes; long-term and short-term production/operations planning; production and operations execution; monitoring, reporting and optimisation of operations; maintenance planning (short term); maintenance execution; health and safety; and environmental management. 

Others, NNPC said, are reliability and inspection; process and controls engineering; quality control, quality assurance and laboratory; specialist engineering; environmental management; minor projects; non-hydrocarbon procurement; sub-contractor management; inventory and warehouse management; and turnaround maintenance planning and execution.

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS 

NNPC said applicants must present audited accounts for the past four years (2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022) that include income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement. 

“Provide evidence of your company’s latest credit ratings and the name of the rating agency,” the oil company said. 

“Demonstration of a minimum average annual Turnover of at least $2 billion USD for the financial years ending: 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively.”

The oil company said it is important for applicants to register “your company for participation in this EOI process in the NNPC Ltd /Nipex Tender process portal”.

“All interested bidders who do not provide as requested in Section 5.1 (a- e) above as at 12:00 Midnight, Monday 29th January 2024 will no longer have access to submit the mandatory details,” NNPC said.

“Individual bidders would be duly notified on th the NNPC Ltd /Nipex Tender Portal.

“Thereafter, the bidder would have access to make their submissions on the NNPC Ltd/Nipex Tender Portal.

“All submitted EOIs should be titled “EOI for the Provision of Operations and Maintenance (0O&M) Services for NNPC Limited Port-Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC).”

SUBMISSION/CLOSING DATE

The energy firm said all documents should be submitted online through the electronic NNPC Ltd /NipeX tender portal on or before 12:00pm on February 26, 2024. 

“The EOI shall be opened virtually, following the deadline for EOIs submission at 12:00 Noon on Monday 26th February 2024, using the NNPC Microsoft Teams. Bidders who have submitted their EOls and external observers shall be invited to attend the virtual live stream bid opening session,” NNPC said.

“In the event of any unscheduled holiday on the EOI submission date, the new deadline for submission of EOIs will be on the next working day. Accordingly, EOI Closing Date/time shall be extended to the next working day and time.”

At the deadline for expression of interest (EOI) submission, NNPC said bidders will no longer be able to access the Nipex portal to submit their bid.