Confusion As Port Harcourt Refinery Stops Operations
The excitement surrounding the purported restart of operations at the Port Harcourt Refining Company earlier this week has quickly dissipated, leaving Nigerians’ hopes in limbo.
A visit to the refinery on Friday revealed a lack of activity, with workers on-site attributing the lull to ongoing calibration processes expected to continue into the following week.
The refinery, which has experienced numerous delays in its rehabilitation and operational relaunch, was inaugurated on Tuesday by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari. During the event, it was announced that 200 trucks of petrol were being loaded daily.
However, skepticism arose after reports suggested that the trucks were loaded with old stock from storage tanks rather than newly refined products.
During the visit to Area 5 of the facility, there were no visible signs of production. An anonymous official disclosed that the trucks had been filled with “dead stock.”
“Before the refinery was shut down between 2015 and 2016, we had leftover products, including Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Dual-Purpose Kerosene (DPK), and Automated Gas Oil (AGO). These were stored in large quantities in the tanks and later evacuated during the refinery’s rehabilitation,” the official explained.
The source added that much of the petrol was off-spec, requiring water separation and further treatment to render it suitable for use.
“For the kerosene, it remains in the tank post-refinement and hasn’t been moved to commercial distribution channels,” he said. “What was loaded were old stocks still in the system. Once these are cleared, the tanks will be cleaned, and the new product will be introduced.”
The worker criticized the refinery’s reliance on manual processes, calling for a transition to automated systems.
“What they’re doing now is manual, which doesn’t align with modern digital pump systems. Many of the pumps used during the inauguration were refurbished,” he noted.
Kyari’s Tuesday visit reportedly saw the preparation of seven trucks, though only five were loaded with petrol.
During the inauguration, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria Chairman Taken Ikpaki had expressed optimism about increased truck activity in the coming days. However, rather than an uptick, the number of trucks has decreased.
By 1:30 p.m. on Friday, our correspondent observed idle workers and stationary trucks. Nine trucks were parked, but the loading bays, numbered 1 to 18, were deserted.
“They are removing water from the PMS,” a worker in overalls said. “Maybe there will be loading later, but we’re not sure when.”
Another employee cited calibration of the meters as the cause of the delay.
Sources revealed that ongoing calibration might extend through Monday, with kerosene and diesel loading anticipated to start thereafter.
Local residents expressed frustration over the lack of progress. A resident of Alode, Eleme Local Government Area, identified as Osaro, commented, “After all the ceremony with Kyari, they continued ‘loading’ only in the media.”
Dr. Joseph Obelle, spokesperson for the Petroleum Product Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, attributed Friday’s inactivity to calibration efforts.
“They are calibrating the pumps and should finish today,” Obelle said.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Petroleum toured the refinery on Thursday, but findings from the visit have not been disclosed.
Efforts to reach NNPC spokesperson Olufemi Soneye for comments were unsuccessful. However, the NNPC has dismissed claims by a local community leader, Timothy Mgbere, who alleged that the refinery was not operational.
In a statement, Soneye described Mgbere’s comments as a “display of ignorance” about refinery operations.
“The old and new Port Harcourt refineries now operate as an integrated facility, sharing utilities like power and storage tanks,” Soneye explained. He urged the public to disregard misinformation.
