NNPCL Refutes Community Leader’s Claims, Affirms Port Harcourt Refinery’s Operations

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has dismissed assertions made by Timothy Mgbere, a leader in the Alesa community of Rivers State, regarding the operational status of the Port Harcourt refinery.

Mgbere, speaking on a national television program on Thursday, accused the NNPCL of deceiving Nigerians by claiming the refinery was already processing crude oil. He alleged that the facility was operating only minimally and not producing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

In a statement issued on Friday, NNPCL’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, described Mgbere’s comments as rooted in ignorance, stating that his claims were misleading and lacked a fundamental understanding of refinery operations.

NNPCL Sets the Record Straight

“He (Mgbere) claimed that the old Port Harcourt Refinery was only operating skeletally and was not processing PMS. His proof was that the PMS truck-out was done at the gantry of the new Port Harcourt Refinery instead of the old refinery’s gantry,” Soneye said.

“This betrays his scant knowledge of the operations of the refinery. The old and new Port Harcourt Refineries have since been integrated with one single terminal for product load-out. They share common utilities like power and storage tanks. This means that storage tanks and the loading gantry, which he claimed belong to the new Port Harcourt Refinery, can also receive products from the old refinery,” Soneye explained.

Contradictions Highlighted

Soneye further criticized Mgbere’s statements as contradictory.

“Mgbere himself admitted that the PMS loaded at the supposed loading gantry of the new Port Harcourt Refinery was from an ‘old stock’ stored at the old refinery. So, how did this ‘old stock’ move from the old refinery to the new refinery’s gantry?”

“According to his flawed argument, old PMS stock from the old Port Harcourt Refinery can be transferred to the new refinery’s gantry for loading, but newly produced PMS from the old refinery cannot be loaded at the same gantry. This is nothing but ignorance on full display!” Soneye asserted.

Refinery Capacity and Operations

Providing clarity on the refinery’s current operational capacity, Soneye stated:

“The nameplate capacity of the refinery is 60,000 barrels of oil per day. It is currently producing at 90% throughput, translating to Straight-Run gasoline (Naphtha) blended into 1.4 million litres of PMS, in addition to other products like diesel and kerosene.”

Public Advisory

Soneye urged Nigerians to disregard Mgbere’s claims, describing them as mischievous and baseless.

“We call on the general public to disregard the claims of the self-acclaimed ‘community person,’ which are obviously borne out of sheer mischief and blatant display of ignorance,” the statement concluded.

The NNPCL reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and efficiency in its operations, emphasizing that the Port Harcourt refinery remains a key asset in Nigeria’s energy production framework.