As Onanuga on Fact Finding Team laid Rumours To Rest.
By Ken Chiwendu
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has insisted that the Old Port Harcourt Refinery is up and running, with loading operations in full swing.
The Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mele Kyari, gave the confirmation at the commissioning of the NUPENG Towers in Lagos on Wednesday.
In a goodwill message at the event, Kyari extended invitation to human rights activist and lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, and all those in doubt, to join the NNPC Ltd on a tour of the refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna to verify their status.
He also shed light on the controversy around products blending, stating that blending was not a crime as it is an integral part of the refining process.
“If you don’t blend, you will bring out off-spec products which will destroy your vehicles. Every refinery blend because what is on specification in the United States of America will be off spec in Nigeria and elsewhere. Blending is necessary to bring products to the specification of different countries or regions,” he explained.
Kyari also congratulated NUPENG on the successful completion of the NUPENG Towers and urged the union to continue to prioritize dialogue and co-operation in its relationship with NNPC Ltd. and the Federal Government.
He disclosed that the President’s interventions in the oil and gas industry by way of Executive Orders were yielding positive results, with more investments coming in and prospects of more jobs in the industry.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy,Bayo Onanuga has shared findings of his tour to the Port Harcourt Refinery.
In a statement titled “Putting to Rest Rumours about Port Harcourt Refinery Complex: Our Fact-Finding Mission” Onanuga said :
I was part of a fact-finding team that visited the 60,000 barrels daily Port Harcourt Refining Complex on Wednesday. I will now share our findings. Our mission was to verify the rumours circulating about the refinery’s state, and I am pleased to report that we were satisfied with what we saw.
Our team, guided by the refinery’s Managing Director Ibrahim Onoja, toured the entire complex, from the computerised control room to the loading bay and every section in between. We asked pointed questions and received satisfactory answers, dispelling our doubts and misconceptions.
Nigerians must ignore naysayers and false information about the refinery’s operations. While it is not currently running at 100%, it is functioning at 70% installed capacity, with plans to increase production shortly. Furthermore, the refinery receives regular crude supplies, contrary to claims that it lacks crude to refine.
During our visit, we confirmed that the refinery produces petroleum products, including kerosene, low-pour fuel oil, LPG, diesel, and gasoline. The latter is blended with other products to make the petrol we use in our cars. We even tested samples of the products.
The refinery’s recent overhaul has transformed it into a modern facility. We saw upgraded and replaced parts, including part of the 300km new pipelines. Some parts the company had not changed in 27 years have been replaced with new ones, bringing the refinery up to 21st-century standards.
The revamping work has indeed brought the refinery back to life. What was once a 20th-century refinery has been transformed into a state-of-the-art facility.
We also visited the co-located second Port Harcourt refinery, commissioned in 1989. Workers were busy dismantling old, rusty parts and replacing them with new ones. Although officials declined to provide a timeline for its completion, there was an air of confidence that it would soon be operational, joining its 60,000 barrels a day counterpart.
My curiosity has been satisfied. I commend NNPC Limited and the refinery team for reviving this dead asset, which was on the verge of becoming a museum piece.
Our fact-finding mission has buried the various doubts and lies about the Port Harcourt Refinery Complex.
