Port Harcourt Refinery Now 90% Operational, NNPC Clarifies

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has moved to clarify claims made by a community leader in Alesa, Rivers State, alleging that the Port Harcourt refinery is not producing petrol. The NNPC has stated categorically that the refinery is currently producing at 90% throughput, which translates to 1.4 million liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) daily, aside from other products like diesel and kerosene.

According to the NNPC spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, the community leader’s claims were uninformed and lacked merit. Soneye explained that the refinery’s operations have been integrated, and it’s impossible to distinguish between the old and new refineries’ production. This integration, he noted, has enabled the refinery to operate at optimal levels, producing a range of petroleum products for the domestic market.

The NNPC’s response comes after the community leader, Timothy Mgbere, appeared on national television, accusing the NNPC of deceiving Nigerians by claiming that the Port Harcourt refinery is already refining crude oil. Mgbere had alleged that the refinery was not producing petrol, and that the NNPC was importing petroleum products to meet domestic demand.

However, the NNPC has insisted that the Port Harcourt refinery is indeed producing petrol and other petroleum products. The company has attributed the recent improvements in the refinery’s performance to the successful execution of the refinery’s rehabilitation project. The project, which was undertaken by the NNPC in partnership with a consortium of international engineering companies, aimed to restore the refinery to its nameplate capacity.

The NNPC has also pointed out that the Port Harcourt refinery is not operating in isolation, but is part of a larger network of refineries and petroleum products distribution infrastructure. The company has noted that the refinery’s production is being supplemented by imports, in order to meet domestic demand for petroleum products.

The clarification by the NNPC is expected to put to rest the controversy surrounding the Port Harcourt refinery’s production levels. The company’s insistence that the refinery is producing at 90% throughput is a testament to the success of the rehabilitation project, and underscores the NNPC’s commitment to ensuring the reliable supply of petroleum products to the domestic market.