Barely days after the much-publicized inauguration of the Port Harcourt Refinery, operations have ground to a halt, leaving many Nigerians questioning the facility’s viability.
A visit to the refinery on Friday revealed no activity, with workers indicating that the refinery was still undergoing calibration, a process expected to last until next week.
The refinery had resumed operations earlier this week, following a highly anticipated launch by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari.
During the inauguration, it was claimed that 200 trucks were loading daily from the refinery, sparking hope for a revitalized domestic oil production capacity.
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However, skepticism quickly followed, with reports emerging that trucks were loading only old products from storage tanks.
On site, Saturday PUNCH observed that the loading bay was completely empty, with workers and truck drivers sitting idle. Nine trucks were parked, but only five had been loaded with petrol, and the loading gantry appeared abandoned.
A worker on the ground explained that the delay was due to “de-watering” processes and ongoing calibration of the loading pumps, which could take several more days to complete.
A refinery official, speaking anonymously, shed light on the situation, stating that much of the product being loaded was “dead stock” – leftover petrol, kerosene, and diesel stored since the refinery’s shutdown in 2015-2016.
The official added that although large quantities of petrol and kerosene were available, much of it was “off-spec” and required additional processing before it could be sold commercially.
“There’s a lot of old stock in the tanks, but they are not yet ready for use. The tanks need to be cleaned, and the products need to be properly processed before they can be pumped into the trucks,” the source said.
Despite earlier statements from NNPCL officials that operations at the refinery were fully underway, the lack of activity on Friday has fueled concerns about the facility’s readiness.
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While the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association (PETROAN) remained optimistic, with spokesperson Dr. Joseph Obelle insisting that the calibration process was temporary, the situation casts doubt on the refinery’s ability to deliver on its promises in the near term.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Petroleum visited the facility on Thursday, but the results of their inspection have not yet been made public.
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