The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has issued a statement reaffirming its significant progress in the operation of the Old Port Harcourt Refinery, following successful efforts to restart the facility. In a message of appreciation to Nigerians, the NNPC Ltd. Board and Management acknowledged public support and excitement over the safe return to operations of the 60,000 barrels-per-day refinery, marking a critical achievement after years of challenges and underperformance.
While commending the progress made, the company addressed recent misleading claims about the refinery’s output. According to NNPC Ltd., the Old Port Harcourt Refinery is currently operating at 70% of its installed capacity, with plans to ramp up production to 90%. The refinery is now producing several vital petroleum products daily, including:
- Straight-Run Gasoline (Naphtha): 1.4 million liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)
- Kerosene: 900,000 liters
- Automotive Gas Oil (AGO or Diesel): 1.5 million liters
- Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO): 2.1 million liters
- Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG): Additional volumes
The company also clarified that the refinery blends C5, a component supplied by Indorama Petrochemicals (formerly Eleme Petrochemicals), to produce gasoline that meets required specifications. Blending is a standard global practice, as refineries typically cannot produce gasoline fully compliant with national standards without such processes.
In addition to the operational updates, NNPC Ltd. confirmed substantial progress on the new Port Harcourt Refinery, which is set to begin operations in the near future, though no specific timelines have been publicly announced.
The statement further emphasized that the achievements made by NNPC Ltd. were a direct result of the leadership of President Bola Tinubu and urged Nigerians to continue their support for the country’s energy sector development. The company urged the public to disregard malicious claims that detract from the positive strides being made in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
NNPC Ltd. concluded by calling on all stakeholders to unite in the effort to build a stronger, more self-sufficient energy sector that will benefit the nation in the long term.
