By Victor Osula, Abuja
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has strongly refuted claims made by Timothy Mgbere, a self-proclaimed “community person,” regarding the operational status of the Port Harcourt Refinery, describing his statements as a “crass display of ignorance.”
Earlier in the week, NNPC announced that the Port Harcourt Refinery had resumed processing crude oil, with trucks loading petroleum products such as Premium Motor Spirit, Automotive Gas Oil, and Household Kerosene (HHK) for distribution.
However, Mgbere alleged that the refinery was only operating minimally and dismissed recent truck-outs of PMS as misleading.
In a sharp response on Friday, Olufemi Soneye, NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, asserted that the refinery is currently operating at 90% capacity, producing significant volumes of petrol and other products.
Soneye urged the public to disregard Mgbere’s “unfounded and mischievous” assertions.
“The attention of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has been drawn to a video clip by one Timothy Mgbere, who alleged that the much-publicised restreaming of the Port Harcourt Refinery and truck-out of PMS earlier this week were false,” Soneye stated.
Soneye provided detailed clarifications, noting that the Old and New Port Harcourt Refineries are integrated and share common utilities, including storage tanks and loading gantries.
He added, “The Old and New Port Harcourt Refineries operate as a unified system, with shared facilities for storage and product load-out. Claims suggesting separate gantries for PMS loading are inaccurate.
“Mgbere alleged that trucked-out PMS was “old stock” from the Old Port Harcourt Refinery but failed to explain how the product supposedly moved to the New Refinery’s loading gantry.
“Mgbere falsely claimed the refinery produces 1.4 million barrels per day. NNPC clarified that the facility’s nameplate capacity is 60,000 barrels per day, currently operating at 90% throughput, translating to 1.4 million litres of PMS alongside other products like diesel and kerosene.
“The flawed arguments of the so-called ‘community person’ highlight a lack of understanding of the refinery’s operations. His claims are riddled with contradictions and ignorance.”
NNPC reiterated its commitment to transparency and operational efficiency while urging the public to disregard what it described as a deliberate attempt to mislead.
