The Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) has unexpectedly ceased crude oil processing, just three days after the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) announced the refinery’s resumption.
According to a report by Punch, a visit to the site on Friday, November 29, revealed no signs of activity, with workers indicating that calibration processes were underway and could continue into the following week.
Earlier this week, the NNPC claimed that the refinery had started loading petroleum products, including Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and Household Kerosene (HHK).
However, an anonymous refinery official revealed that the loaded products were “dead stock” — leftover refined products stored in tanks since the facility’s 2015/2016 shutdown.
These products, including off-spec petrol and kerosene, are being processed and cleaned before introducing new stock.
NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Femi Soneye, maintained that the refinery was operating at 60% capacity, processing 60,000 barrels per day.
He dismissed allegations from community members that the refinery was not operational, emphasizing that both the old and new facilities share integrated utilities for product distribution.
Soneye urged the public to ignore misleading claims about the refinery’s status, describing such statements as baseless and misinformed.
