The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has dismissed reports circulating in some media outlets claiming that the newly revived Old Port Harcourt Refinery has been shut down.
In a statement released on Saturday, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, reaffirmed that the refinery is “fully operational.”
The 60,000 barrels per day capacity refinery resumed operations two months ago, after being inactive for several years.
Soneye emphasized that these recent reports were “completely false,” noting that the refinery’s operational status was confirmed just days ago by former Group Managing Directors of NNPCL.
Current operations include preparations for the day’s loading activities, further demonstrating the refinery’s ongoing functionality.
“We urge the public to disregard such misleading reports, which seem to be the work of individuals attempting to create artificial scarcity and exploit Nigerians,” Soneye added.
In 2021, the Federal Government approved $1.5 billion for the repair of the refinery, which had been shut down since 2019. This investment is part of Nigeria’s broader efforts to address its dependency on imported petroleum products, despite being one of the world’s largest oil producers.
While the country has long relied on fuel imports due to inadequate local refining capacity, the recent commissioning of the Dangote Refinery in September 2024 has marked a significant step toward self-sufficiency in petroleum production.
NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, also provided an update on the new Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) complex, a 150,000 barrels per day facility set to come online by mid-2025.
Kyari highlighted that the Old Port Harcourt Refinery now has the capacity to supply products to 200,000 trucks daily. He acknowledged that the major challenge in resuscitating the plant was the need for a complete overhaul of its machinery, which involved the installation of brand-new equipment.
