NNPC Refutes Claims on Port Harcourt Refinery Operations: Setting the Record Straight
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has dismissed allegations made by Timothy Mgbere, Secretary of the Alesa Community Stakeholders, concerning the recent resumption of operations at the Port Harcourt Refinery.
Mgbere, during an interview on Arise Television on Thursday, alleged that the refinery’s truck-out operations involved petroleum products from old stock rather than newly refined products. He further insinuated that the refinery’s activities were misleading and lacking transparency.
In response, NNPC Ltd, through its Spokesperson Olufemi Soneye, issued a statement on Friday describing Mgbere’s assertions as a “crass display of ignorance” and providing detailed clarifications to dispel the misinformation.
Addressing the Allegations: Fact vs. Fiction
11. Refinery Operations and Integration
Soneye explained that the Port Harcourt Refinery consists of two integrated refineries that share essential utilities, including power, storage tanks, and a unified terminal for product loading.
Mgbere’s claim that old stock was being loaded from the refinery contradicted his assertion that the old refinery was non-functional. NNPC questioned how products from a non-operational facility could be moved to a shared terminal for loading.
“These contradictions highlight the lack of understanding and misrepresentation of facts,” Soneye noted, emphasizing that both refineries are operationally linked and functioning in tandem.
