Reports of Port Harcourt Refinery Shutdown are False, NNPC

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has dismissed reports alleging that the Old Port Harcourt Refinery has been shut down just two months after it resumed operations. In a statement issued on Saturday by Olufemi Soneye, the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd confirmed that the refinery is fully operational.

The company responded to media reports suggesting that the refinery, which was re-streamed in October, had ceased operations. NNPC Ltd clarified that these claims are “totally false,” stating that preparations for the day’s loading operations are currently underway.

“We wish to clarify that such reports are totally false. The refinery is fully operational, as confirmed a few days ago by former Group Managing Directors of NNPC. Preparation for the day’s loading operation is currently ongoing,” Soneye stated.

The NNPC Ltd also called on the public to disregard these rumors, suggesting that they are part of a larger scheme to create artificial scarcity and exploit consumers.

The Old Port Harcourt Refinery, which has a refining capacity of 60,000 barrels per day (bpd), along with the newer unit capable of processing 150,000 bpd, forms part of a combined capacity of 210,000 bpd. After undergoing extensive rehabilitation, the refinery resumed production in late November, and NNPC Ltd began truck loading of petroleum products on November 26.

Despite the company’s assurances, skepticism about the refinery’s operational status persists among some observers. However, NNPC Ltd remains confident in the refinery’s functionality, underscoring that its operations are vital for stabilizing the country’s domestic supply of refined petroleum products.

As the NNPC Ltd works to ramp up production, it urges Nigerians to remain hopeful and to disregard misleading reports that could hinder progress in the nation’s energy sector.