Port Harcourt Refinery Halts Operations as Loading Bay Remains Empty

Operations at the Port Harcourt Refinery have been suspended, with the loading bay reportedly empty, raising concerns over Nigeria’s fuel supply chain.

The initial enthusiasm regarding the resumption of operations at the Port Harcourt Refining Company on Tuesday appears to have diminished, leaving many Nigerians with unfulfilled hopes and expectations.

On Friday, the refinery announced that no activities were taking place on the premises. Several employees interviewed by our correspondent indicated that the facility was in the process of calibration, a procedure anticipated to last until the following week.

The Port Harcourt Refinery has faced numerous challenges and has consistently failed to meet various deadlines for restarting operations.

Melee Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, officially inaugurated the new facility at the refinery’s Area 5 terminal on Tuesday. Reports indicated that 200 petrol trucks were being loaded daily from this site.

Nevertheless, the announcement was met with skepticism, as there were claims that the trucks were filled with outdated products from the storage tanks.

During a visit to Area 5 of the Port Harcourt Refinery, our correspondent observed a complete lack of activity.

An official, who requested anonymity, revealed that the loaded trucks contained “dead stock.”

He explained that prior to the refinery’s closure between 2015 and 2016, there was residual dead stock in the tank, which included some Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), Dual Purpose Kerosene (kerosene), and Automated Gas Oil (diesel).

“As a result, these products were stored in significant quantities within tanks at the facility. During the rehabilitation of Old Area 5 at the Port Harcourt Refinery, they were removed from these tanks for safekeeping.”

However, he noted that the substantial amount of refined gasoline was “off-spec,” necessitating water separation to achieve the desired product specifications.

In contrast, while DPK is available in large quantities, it has not yet been distributed from the storage tank where it was held after refining and prepared for commercial use.

The enthusiasm surrounding the resumption of operations at the Port Harcourt Refining Company on Tuesday appears to have diminished, leaving many Nigerians with unfulfilled hopes and expectations.

On Friday, the refinery announced that no activities were taking place on the premises. Several employees interviewed by our correspondent indicated that the facility was in the process of calibration, a procedure anticipated to last until the following week.

The Port Harcourt Refinery has faced numerous challenges and has consistently failed to meet various deadlines for the recommencement of operations.

Melee Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, officially inaugurated the new facility at the refinery’s Area 5 terminal on Tuesday. Reports indicated that 200 petrol trucks were being loaded daily from this site.

Nevertheless, the announcement was met with skepticism due to claims suggesting that the trucks were filled with outdated products from the storage tanks.

During a visit to Area 5 of the Port Harcourt Refinery, our correspondent observed a complete lack of activity.

An official, who requested anonymity, revealed that the loaded trucks contained “dead stock.”

He explained that prior to the refinery’s closure between 2015 and 2016, there was residual dead stock in the tank, which included some Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), Dual Purpose Kerosene (kerosene), and Automated Gas Oil (diesel).

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“As a result, these products were stored in significant quantities within tanks at the facility. During the rehabilitation of Old Area 5 at the Port Harcourt Refinery, they were removed from these tanks for safekeeping.”

However, he noted that the substantial amount of refined gasoline was “off-spec,” necessitating water separation to achieve the desired product specifications.

In contrast, while DPK is available in large quantities, it has not yet been distributed from the storage tank where it was held after refining and prepared for commercial use.

“The product that was loaded was dead stock, meaning it consisted of old inventory.”

They are in the process of adjusting the meters, he remarked tersely.

According to a source, the calibration is set to continue until Monday, at which point the loading of DPK (kerosene) and AGO (diesel) is anticipated to begin.

In a discussion with our correspondent, a resident of Alode in the Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, named Osaro, commented, “After the ceremony with Mele Kyari, where it was declared that the refinery had commenced operations and loading activities were in progress, what transpired next? Loading persisted only in theory—on newspaper articles and social media platforms.”

When asked about the inactivity observed on Friday, Dr. Joseph Obelle, the National Public Relations Officer of the Petroleum Product Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, indicated that it was due to the ongoing calibration processes.

Obelle, representing PETROAN, confirmed that they are calibrating the loading pumps and anticipate completing this task by today.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the Senate Committee on Petroleum conducted a tour of the refinery facilities on Thursday. The findings from this visit have yet to be made public.

Efforts to contact NNPC spokesperson Olufemi Soneye through calls and text messages were unsuccessful at the time this report was prepared.

However, in a statement, the NNPC denied claims made by Alesa community leader Timothy Mgbere that the Port Harcourt refinery was not producing fuel.

Soneye accused Mgbere of a significant misunderstanding regarding refinery operations.

He noted that both the old and new Port Harcourt refineries have been integrated with a single terminal for product loading. They share utilities such as power and storage tanks. As a result, the storage tanks and loading gantry associated with the new Port Harcourt Refinery are also capable of receiving products from the Old Port Harcourt Refinery.

He urged the public to disregard assertions stemming from “pure mischief and a clear lack of understanding.”