The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPCL) Board and Management have defended the Old Port Harcourt Refinery’s outputs, arguing that blending is a common procedure worldwide.
In response to a report that said the refinery purchased “Cracked C5 petroleum resins” and mixed them with other products, such as naphtha, to sell to the Nigerian public as though the refinery had processed them, NNPCL issued a statement on Tuesday, signed by Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer.
The Old Port Harcourt Refinery is now running at 70% of its installed capacity, with plans to ramp up to 90%, Soneye said, adding that it is not true to say that “certain individuals are suggesting that the refinery is not producing products.”
NNPCL Provides Clarification
- Soneye started by thanking Nigerians for their enthusiasm and support following the Old Port Harcourt Refinery’s safe and successful resumption of its 60,000 barrels per day capacity.
- The accomplishment, he continued, represents a major advancement following years of operational difficulties and poor performance.
To be clear, he revealed that the refinery produces the following products every day:
- Straight-Run Gasoline (Naphtha): Used to blend 1.4 million liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS or petrol)
- Kerosene: 900,000 liters produced
- Automotive Gas Oil (AGO or Diesel): 1.5 million liters generated
- Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO): 2.1 million liters output
- Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG): Supplementary volumes added
According to the NNPCL spokesperson, blending, which involves the Port Harcourt refinery, is a common procedure that is allowed worldwide.
“It is worth noting that the refinery uses Cracked C5, a blending component from our sister company, Indorama Petrochemicals (previously Eleme Petrochemicals), to make petrol that meets standards. Blending is a common procedure in refineries around the world, as no single unit can produce petrol that fully meets any country’s regulations without using such methods.
“Additionally, we have made substantial progress on the new Port Harcourt Refinery, which will begin operations soon without prior announcements,” Soneye added.
He called for Nigerians to support initiatives meant to provide greater benefits to the country and concentrate on the outstanding accomplishments being made under President Bola Tinubu.
He claimed that the harmful attempts to undermine the nation’s and NNPCL’s progress should be ignored.
More Details
Soneye declared on Tuesday that the Port Harcourt Refinery’s official start of processing crude oil today is a significant milestone for Nigeria. This historic achievement ushers in a new age of our country’s economic expansion and energy independence.
- The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) was praised by President Bola Tinubu for successfully restarting the Port Harcourt refinery, which started loading petroleum products on November 26, 2024.
- Additionally, Tinubu encouraged the company to accelerate the planned reactivation of the Warri and Kaduna refineries and the second Port Harcourt plant.
- Dangote Refinery and other pertinent oil and gas businesses have been debating the “blending” issue extensively.
