The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has explained that it is the old Port Harcourt Refinery, having 60,000 barrels per day capacity that has been revived and not the entire refinery.
Recall that the Port Harcourt Refinery complex comprises two operational units established in 1965 and 1989, respectively, and with a combined installed capacity of 210,000 barrels per day.
The older plant, which has a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, has now been revived and is currently operating at 70 per cent capacity, producing significant volumes of petroleum products daily.
The newer plant with 150,000 barrels per day capacity is expected to be completed next year, the NNPC stated.
Giving a breakdown of its current product supply, the NNPC said the refinery produces the following outputs daily: Straight-Run Gasoline (Naphtha): Blended into 1.4 million liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS or petrol); 900,000 liters of Kerosene; 1.5 million liters of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO or diesel); 2.1 million liters of Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO) as well additional volumes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), all blending to meet specifications.
To meet required gasoline specifications, the refinery blends Straight-Run Gasoline with crack C5, a component from Indorama Petrochemicals, NNPC said in a statement by its spokesman, Olufemi Soneye.
NNPC noted that this blending process is standard practice worldwide, as no single refinery unit can produce gasoline that complies fully with any country’s standards without additional processing.
NNPC disclosed that efforts were underway to increase the refinery’s capacity from 70 per cent to 90 per cent. Meanwhile, substantial progress has also been made on the new Port Harcourt Refinery, which is expected to commence operations soon.
The NNPC dismissed claims by some individuals alleging that the refinery was not operational, describing such statements as “unfounded.” The oil company emphasised the importance of focusing on achievements under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, who has prioritised revitalising the nation’s energy sector.
The company called on Nigerians to support its ongoing efforts to transform the energy landscape and to refrain from undermining progress with baseless criticism.
The restart of the Port Harcourt Refinery is a significant step in Nigeria’s journey toward energy self-sufficiency, promising improved availability of fuel products and reduced dependence on imports.