Port Harcourt Refinery Yet to Commence Bulk Sales, NNPCL Confirms

The NNPCL clarifies that the Port Harcourt Refinery has not yet started bulk petroleum product sales, addressing public inquiries about its operational status.

The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has stated that the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) has yet to commence bulk sales or activate its purchasing portal, as essential procedures are still underway. Olufemi Soneye, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, revealed this in a statement on Friday.

He mentioned that the products currently sold by the refinery come from the Dangote Refinery and include applicable fees set by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). At this point, PHRC products are exclusively designated for our retail locations.

We periodically review and adjust our pricing as needed to align with operational realities,” the statement explained. The company also urged the public to ignore any misleading information about pricing, emphasizing that official announcements will be made if and when price reviews take place. This clarification arises as the public eagerly awaits the PHRC to begin full-scale operations, while the company focuses on optimizing its processes.

NNPCL previously clarified that the newly operational Port Harcourt refinery is functioning at 90 percent capacity, contrary to PETROAN’s claim of it operating at only 70 percent. On Thursday, PETROAN announced that the refinery is currently operating at 70% of its installed capacity and plans to increase this to 90%. However, the company announced that crude oil refining has begun at the Port Harcourt refinery. “Put an end to the rumors: The Port Harcourt old refinery is operational and producing crude oil by-products,” announced Joseph Obele, PETROAN’s spokesperson on Thursday.

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He stated that as part of its oversight responsibilities, PETROAN has direct access to the facility with management approval.The essential aspect to highlight is that the plant currently in operation is the older refinery, which has a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day.

Meanwhile, the new Port Harcourt refinery, which has a capacity of 200,000 barrels per day and remains under rehabilitation, is expected to commence production soon according to NNPCL management announcements. Both refineries are located within the same complex at Alesa Eleme in Rivers State,” stated an NNPCL spokesperson.

At present, all refinery outputs are reserved for NNPCL’s retail outlets, with prices undergoing regular review and adjustment. The PHRC, having recently restarted operations, is functioning at 70% of its installed capacity.

It produces daily outputs of 1.4 million liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 900,000 liters of kerosene, and 1.5 million liters of Automotive Gas Oil (diesel). NNPCL announced that it has not opened the purchase portal for bulk sales as they are still completing the necessary steps.

The company highlighted that its current stock, sourced from Dangote Refinery, includes various fees and levies. This explanation follows reports that oil marketers are waiting for the purchase portal to open so they can obtain products from the Port Harcourt Refinery. NNPCL has assured that it is actively working to finalize the required processes and will begin bulk sales to marketers soon.