*The Management of Port Harcourt Refining Company, in Rivers State of Nigeria, restate the oil-refining plant is producing optimally, and there are enough products available for loading but tanker drivers are delaying the loading operations, just as enemies of the Nigeria’s progress are still peddling rumours around the country

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

The Management of Port Harcourt Refining Company, located in Rivers State, South-South Nigeria, have stated that the oil-refining plant is producing optimally, and there are enough products available for loading for onward distribution to energy consumers in the country.

绿帽献妻 reports the state-owned oil refinery, however, attributed the relatively slow pace of loading petroleum products at the facility’s bay to tanker drivers.

The tanker drivers are delaying the loading operations, said the Management.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (r) congratulates Malam Mele Kyari, Group CEO of NNPC Limited on reviving the Port Harcourt Oil Refinery

Reporters’ visit to Area 5 of the Port Harcourt Oil Refinery evening Sunday, December 1, 2024, revealed that the refining of petroleum products was in progress.

‘Oil refinery produces everyday’

It was also gathered the oil refinery produces every day, and has maintained its production status as disclosed Tuesday last week.

At the loading bay of the refinery as Sunday evening, only three trucks were being loaded, while seven others were standing by to be loaded.

Of the 18 loading points in the oil refinery, only three were in use.

Likewise, only tankers with the logo of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) were loading and seen on the premises.

Although the facility was not bustling with life, activities were ongoing within the production and loading bay areas of the facility.

Soneye: Port Harcourt Refinery currently 鈥榩roducing at 70 percent capacity鈥�

It is recalled Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, recently emphasised that the oil refinery was rehabilitated to 90 percent capacity.

Soneye Tuesday, November 26 had stated the Board and Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited expressed their heartfelt appreciation to Nigerian consumers for their support and excitement over the safe, successful rehabilitation and restart of the 60,000 barrels-per-day (bpds) Old Port Harcourt Refinery.

The NNPCL has described the achievement as one marking 鈥渁 significant step forward after years of operational challenges and underperformance.鈥�

The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Limited, also noted the state oil company is aware of 鈥渦nfounded claims by certain individuals suggesting that the refinery is not producing products.鈥�

Soneye asserted: 鈥淔or clarity, the Old Port Harcourt Refinery is currently operating at 70 percent of its installed capacity, with plans to ramp up to 90%. The refinery is producing the following daily outputs: Straight-Run Gasoline (Naphtha): Blended into 1.4 million liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS or petrol); Kerosene: 900,000 liters; Automotive Gas Oil (AGO or Diesel): 1.5 million liters; Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO): 2.1 million liters; and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG): Additional volumes.鈥�

He further clarified the company鈥檚 position: 鈥淚t is worth noting that the refinery incorporates crack C5, a blending component from our sister company, Indorama Petrochemicals (formerly Eleme Petrochemicals), to produce gasoline that meets required specifications.

鈥淏lending is a standard practice in refineries globally, as no single unit can produce gasoline that fully complies with any country鈥檚 standards without such processes.鈥�

PPMC arm of refinery working with full capacity –Terminal Manager

Speaking on the development at plant, Worlu Chike Joel, Terminal Manager of the Port Harcourt Refinery, however, disclosed that the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) arm of the refinery, is working with full capacity, and the loading of trucks has not stopped since Tuesday, November 26, 2024, when the facility came alive again.

Joel reportedly said: “The facility has the capacity to load 100 trucks in an hour, but currently, only 11 out of the 18 loading points are functional. Unfortunately, only three of these points are being utilised, resulting in the slow pace of loading.”

The Terminal Manager of the Refinery also blamed the underutilisation of the available petroleum product loading points to the tanker drivers, who he stated “are delaying the loading operations.”

He, therefore, reassured Nigerian the Port Harcourt Oil Refinery is producing optimally, and that there are enough products available for loading and onward distribution to energy consumers.

鈥淭his is the PPMC loading arm. We have 11 loading bays that are functional, but because of the capacity, it has a huge capacity to deliver.

“So we are using three at the moment because it is efficient.”

Joel further explained: “Out of the three, each one has the capacity of loading three trucks in 15 minutes.

“A truck is 45 thousand litres minimum. We have ones of 60 thousand litres.”

Tanker drivers urged to come and load petroleum products

Joel stated the oil-refining facility had already loaded over 10 trucks Sunday.

The Terminal Manager stated: “So, before the close of work today (Sunday), just in the next one hour, we are going to evacuate a minimum of 15 trucks.鈥�

Restating there are enough products, he also said the tanker drivers were not coming to load.

Joel asked them to come to load petroleum products at the facility.

Asserting availability of refined petroleum products at the plant, Joel as well “we have surplus products available.”

He noted: “We have our loading arms operational, and we have been begging them to come in since yesterday, but because today is the weekend, that is why they have not turned up.

鈥淚f you give us 100 trucks today, we will evacuate them in less than 5 hours.”

The Terminal Manager restated: “So, it is not our problem if there are no loading trucks, it is the tanker drivers鈥� problem.

“We have been begging them since yesterday to come around and take the products, but they didn鈥檛 turn up.

“It was just this morning, after pleading with them, that they came.鈥�

Production is on, enemies of refinery rehabilitation still peddling misinformation: CSO

In his remarks on the restarting and functioning of the facility, Dibia Isaiah, Chief Security Officer (CSO) of Alesa Eleme, expressed joy that the facility in their community has resumed full operations.

Isaiah reportedly said: 鈥淓verybody is seeing it live and direct that production is on.

“I suspect it was the enemy of this rehabilitation that is going on that is peddling the rumours.”

Isaiah stated: “But you can witness what is going on here. I am one of the loaders from the host community, and I have loaded 4 trucks this morning.

“Yesterday, I loaded too. So now we are loading, tomorrow we will load, and there is no time we will not load.”

The CSO also noted: “This time is a very busy period for us. I wonder why people are giving out fake information just to run down the management.

“It is not good. I want to urge Nigerians to disregard such rumours.鈥�

Ibrahim Onoja, Managing Director of Port Harcourt Oil Refinery, who conducted media personnel around the facility, said the Federal Government and PH Refinery had delivered.

Onoja affirm that production and loading of petroleum products have been ongoing since Tuesday last week.

鈥淲e have delivered, and the plant is running. Trucks are running, and we are producing,” stated the Managing Director.

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