The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) says the old Port Harcourt refinery is fully operational and preparation for Saturday loading operation is currently ongoing.
The NNPC Ltd. Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, said this in a statement on Saturday, December 21, 2024, in Abuja.
Soneye advised members of the public to discountenance false media reports that the refinery, which was re-streamed in November, has been shut down.
He described such reports as the figments of the imagination of those who want to create artificial scarcity and rip-off Nigerians.
”The attention of the NNPC Ltd. has been drawn to reports in a section of the media alleging that the Old Port Harcourt Refinery which was re-streamed has been shut down.
“We wish to clarify that such reports are totally false as the refinery is fully operational as verified a few days ago by former Group Managing Directors (GMDs) of NNPC.
“Preparation for the day’s loading operation is currently ongoing,” he said,” the spokesperson said.
The 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) capacity refinery, which attained its mechanical completion in 2023, began its truck-out of petroleum products on Nov. 26, following its rehabilitation.
That signaled the commencement of crude oil processing from the plant and petroleum products delivery to market.
The resumption of the refinery had followed a lot of skepticism and criticism from some critics who alleged that the rehabilitated refinery was a scam.
Amid the controversy, some renowned Nigerians, marketers and society of engineers among others had toured the refinery and confirmed that it is operational.
The refinery, which is the country’s oldest and biggest among the three government-owned refineries and located in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria, began operation in 1965.
By Emmanuella Anokam
