ABUJA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government Thursday announced the "mechanical completion" of the extensive rehabilitation efforts on the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited, one of the country's oldest oil processing facilities.

       Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, told reporters in Port Harcourt, the capital of the oil-rich state of Rivers, that flaring had also started at the facility which has a total refining capacity of 210,000 barrels per day (bpds).

       "This heralds the commencement of the production of petroleum products after the Christmas break," Lokpobiri said, emphasizing the importance of ongoing efforts to achieve full operational readiness.

       The Port Harcourt refinery, comprising two refining units, was shut down in March 2019 the first phase of repair works as part of the government's commitment to revitalize and modernize critical infrastructure. The rehabilitation project is expected to boost domestic refining capacity and ultimately reduce the country's reliance on imported fuel.

       The old plant has a refining capacity of 60,000 bpds, while the new plant has a capacity of 150,000 bpds, Lokpobiri said.

       The refinery had over the years performed below optimal levels which resulted in the importation of petroleum products for domestic use for many years to cover for the gap in the refinery's output, he added.