Japan's travel advisory stalls PH refineries turnaround maintenance

Tribune

28 February 2012

Japan's travel advisory stalls PH refineries turnaround maintenance

Hopes of early resolution of the fuel importation problem in the country appear dimmed following the revelation on Monday that the Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) for Port Harcourt refineries has been stalled as a result of a travel advisory issued on the Niger Delta by the Japanese government.

The Nigerian government had late last year, approached the Japanese Gasoline Corporation, original builders of the two Port Harcourt refineries, to undertake the Turnaround Maintenance of the refineries at the cost of $146 million.

But the chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Senator Magnus Abe, told Rivers State governor, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, during a courtesy visit on Monday that the Turnaround Maintenance had been stalled as a result of the travel advisory by the Japanese government.