The operational capacity of the recently rehabilitated Port Harcourt Refining Company has come under significant scrutiny following its reopening on Tuesday.
Allegations emerged on Thursday that petroleum products loaded from the facility were not freshly refined but had been stored in its tanks for over three years. This development has reignited public skepticism regarding the refinery, which has faced repeated delays, missed deadlines, and seven unsuccessful attempts to resume operations.
Timothy Mgbere, Secretary of the Alesa community stakeholders, located in Eleme, Rivers State, where the Port Harcourt refinery is situated, raised doubts about the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPCL) claims regarding the facility’s functionality. Speaking in an interview, Mgbere stated that the refinery’s reported 60,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) production capacity is far from being achieved. He accused the NNPCL of orchestrating a symbolic reopening ceremony to create a false impression of full operational status.
Mgbere revealed that only six trucks of petroleum products were dispatched on the first day of operations, contradicting NNPCL’s earlier assertion that 200 trucks would be loaded daily. He also alleged that the products loaded were not newly refined but part of an old stock held in the refinery’s tanks for over three years. “What happened on Tuesday was merely a show,” he said. “The refinery is operating at skeletal capacity, with only some units functional. It is far from producing at the level being portrayed by the NNPCL.”
Mgbere further criticized the contractor responsible for the refinery’s rehabilitation, claiming the project relied heavily on subcontractors who lacked the necessary expertise and equipment. He dismissed NNPCL’s automation claims, insisting that inefficiencies were still evident. “The ceremony was held at the new loading gantry, which is connected to the new refinery complex, not the old one. They simply released old stock to load a few trucks and presented it as newly refined products,” Mgbere argued.
Energy experts and stakeholders have also weighed in, expressing concerns over the refinery’s operations. Bala Zaka, an energy consultant, questioned why petroleum products were stored instead of being released to the market immediately. He argued that this practice increases costs unnecessarily and raises questions about transparency. “When a product is produced, it should go straight to the market. Delaying its release creates suspicion,” Zaka said. He also highlighted the lack of visible activity surrounding the delivery of crude oil to the refinery, calling for clarity on the source of feedstock and the state of the refinery’s distillation units.
Zaka likened the situation to “a pregnant woman giving birth without anyone seeing the pregnancy,” implying that the lack of visible preparatory activities undermines the credibility of the refinery’s purported operations. He urged the NNPCL to provide detailed information about the crude supply arrangements and the refinery’s capacity to sustain production.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) expressed cautious optimism about the refinery’s reopening but stated that it would withhold final judgment until the facility demonstrates consistent operations. IPMAN’s National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Ukadike, noted that while the reopening was a positive step, the allegations surrounding the facility’s operations were troubling. “We are prepared to load petroleum products once the NNPCL reviews its prices and makes them available. For now, we will wait until the end of the week to see if loading continues consistently before making further comments,” Ukadike said.
In contrast, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) defended the refinery’s operations. PETROAN’s Publicity Secretary, Joseph Obele, asserted that the facility is functional, operating at 70% capacity, and producing refined petroleum products. He invited skeptics to verify the refinery’s status through an on-site tour and highlighted a recent visit by the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources, which reportedly confirmed the facility’s operational status.
Meanwhile, the Major Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) reported progress in petroleum product distribution from the Dangote Refinery, which has emerged as a major supplier. MEMAN noted that over 251 million liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) have been loaded from the Dangote facility in the past 10 weeks, with improved efficiency in vessel transportation making it a preferred source.
As these controversies unfold, the public remains divided on the Port Harcourt Refinery’s rehabilitation efforts. While some view the reopening as a step toward reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products, others remain skeptical about the transparency and effectiveness of the project. Calls for greater accountability and independent verification of the refinery’s operations continue to grow. For now, the true state of the Port Harcourt Refinery remains shrouded in uncertainty, leaving many Nigerians questioning whether the much-celebrated reopening is indeed a milestone or merely another false dawn.
