The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) announced that the old Port Harcourt refinery is currently operating at 70% of its installed capacity, with plans to increase this to 90%. This statement, made by NNPC’s chief corporate communications officer Olufemi Soneye, comes in response to claims that the refinery is not producing products.
The refinery, which has a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, resumed production after extensive rehabilitation. It began truck loading of petroleum products on November 26, producing significant daily outputs: 1.4 million liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 900,000 liters of Kerosene, 1.5 million liters of Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel), 2.1 million liters of Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO), and additional volumes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). The refinery uses crack C5 from Indorama Petrochemicals for blending gasoline to meet specifications, a common practice globally.
NNPC Ltd also mentioned progress on the new Port Harcourt Refinery, which will soon begin operations. The combined capacity of both units in Port Harcourt is 210,000 barrels per day.
The refinery had been shut down in March 2019 for repairs, overseen by Maire Tecnimont and technical adviser Eni, with the project costing $1.5 billion. The Nigerian government announced the mechanical completion and flare start-off of the refinery on December 21, 2023. NNPC Ltd appreciates the support of Nigerians and urges them to focus on the progress made under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.