The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited has again stated that petroleum products from the Port Harcourt refinery are “top quality” adding that trucks are loading daily from the plant.
The spokesperson of NNPC, Olufemi Soneye, shared this statement on Friday on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.
This comes amid controversy that the refinery is neither refining crude oil nor loading trucks from the 60,000 bpd plant.
However, Soneye emphasized that routine loading operations are ongoing, with trucks being loaded regularly.
He did not, however, disclose the number of trucks being loaded daily at the refinery.
“The Port Harcourt Refinery operates in strict compliance with global best practices, ensuring the production of top-quality petroleum products.
“Following the ceremonial truck load-out event, routine loading operations have progressed smoothly. Trucks are being loaded daily to maintain a consistent and dependable supply chain.
“We urge the public to disregard misleading information from predatory media outlets and purveyors of falsehoods, as PHRC remains committed to transparency, excellence, and meeting the nation’s energy needs” Soneye said.
Controversies around Port Harcourt Refinery
Following the announcement by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) that the Port Harcourt Refinery has resumed operations, controversies have emerged regarding its functionality and operations.
- Reports claim that the refinery is not processing crude oil as intended but is instead blending naphtha with crack 5 to produce gasoline. However, NNPC has refuted these allegations, clarifying that blending is a globally accepted practice in refining operations.
- Marketers have also raised concerns, stating they are yet to receive any products from the refinery. In response, NNPC explained that the refinery is currently supplying products exclusively to its retail outlets and has not commenced bulk sales.
- Additionally, disputes have arisen between NNPC and marketers over the pricing of products from the refinery, further fueling debates surrounding its operations.
What you should know
Nairametrics previously reported that the state-owned Port Harcourt Refinery has officially resumed petroleum product production.
This announcement was made by Olufemi Soneye, the spokesperson for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited.
- Soneye also confirmed that truck-loading operations are set to commence today and noted that efforts are ongoing to restore operations at the Warri Refinery.
- Built in 1965, the Port Harcourt Refinery was designed with a capacity to process approximately 90,000 barrels of crude oil daily.
- However, it has remained largely non-operational since its construction, contributing to Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imported petroleum products.