The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has dismissed allegations made by Timothy Mgbere, a self-proclaimed “community person,” regarding the state of operations at the Port Harcourt Refinery.
In a statement issued by the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, NNPC described Mgbere’s claims as a “crass display of ignorance” and urged the public to disregard the misinformation.
Mgbere had alleged in a video clip that the recently publicized restreaming of the Port Harcourt Refinery and truck-out of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) were fabricated. NNPC, however, refuted the allegations, emphasizing its commitment to transparency and providing clarity on the refinery’s operations:
1. Integrated Refinery System: NNPC explained that the Old and New Port Harcourt Refineries operate as an integrated facility with a single terminal for product loading. Both refineries share utilities, including power and storage tanks, which means that products processed at the Old Refinery can be loaded through the New Refinery’s gantry.
2. Contradictions in Claims: The company pointed out inconsistencies in Mgbere’s assertions, noting that while he claimed the Old Refinery was operating “skeletally,” he also suggested that the PMS trucked out was “old stock” from the same facility. NNPC questioned how the so-called “old stock” could have been moved to the New Refinery’s gantry if the facilities were as distinct as Mgbere alleged.
3. Production Capacity Facts: Addressing claims that the refinery was producing 1.4 million barrels per day, NNPC clarified that the facility’s nameplate capacity is 60,000 barrels per day. Currently, the refinery is operating at 90% throughput, producing straight-run gasoline (naphtha) that is blended into 1.4 million liters of PMS daily, alongside diesel and kerosene.
NNPC condemned the claims as “wild” and “borne out of mischief,” urging Nigerians to disregard the misinformation.
“The public should note that these assertions, made without any technical understanding of refinery operations, are misleading and purely aimed at creating confusion,” the statement concluded.
NNPC reaffirmed its commitment to revitalizing the Port Harcourt Refinery and delivering on its promise of improving Nigeria’s energy sector.
Full text of the press statement below:
NNPC Ltd Disclaims Assertions of Self-Acclaimed ‘Community Person’ on State of Port Harcourt Refinery
…Says Claims Are Crass Display of Ignorance
The attention of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has been drawn to a video clip of one Timothy Mgbere, a self-acclaimed “community person” who alleged that the much-publicised restreaming of the Port Harcourt and truck-out of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) which held earlier in the week were all false.
We would have not bothered to reply him considering that all his assertions were a crass display of ignorance which is consistent with his claim of being a ‘community person’ who does not necessarily have any knowledge about the workings of the Port Harcourt Refinery. But the need to set the records straight and not to mislead the public has constrained us to clarify as follows:
1. He claimed that the Old Port Harcourt Refinery was only operating skeletally and was not processing PMS. His proof was that the PMS truck-out was done at the gantry of the New Port Harcourt Refinery as against the gantry of the Old Port Harcourt Refinery. This betrays his scant knowledge of the operations of the refinery. The Old and New Port Harcourt Refineries have since been integrated with one single terminal for products load-out. They share common utilities like power and storage tanks. This means that storage tanks and loading gantry which he claimed belongs to the New Port-Harcourt Refinery can also receive products from the Old Port Harcourt Refinery.
2. The same person who claimed that the Old Port Harcourt Refinery has its own separate loading gantry from that of the New Port Harcourt Refinery further went on to contradict himself by saying that the PMS that was loaded out from the supposed loading gantry of the New Port Harcourt Refinery was “old stock” from the Old Port Harcourt Refinery. So, how did the purported “old stock” move from the Old Port Harcourt Refinery to the loading gantry of the New Port Harcourt Refinery?
3. Going by the flawed argument of the so-called ‘community person’, “old PMS stock” from the Old Port Harcourt Refinery can be moved to the loading gantry of the New Port-Harcourt Refinery for show, but newly produced PMS from the Old Port- Harcourt Refinery can only be loaded at its own dedicated gantry. This is nothing but ignorance on full display!
4. There are a number of other wild claims made by the man, one of which was that the refinery was producing 1.4million barrels per day. The nameplate capacity of the refinery is 60,000barrels of oil per day. It is currently producing at 90 per cent throughput which translates to Straight-Run Gasoline (Naphtha) blended into 1.4million litres of PMS, aside other products like diesel and kerosene.
5. We call on the general public to disregard the claims of the self-acclaimed ‘community person’ which are obviously borne out of sheer mischief and blatant display of ignorance.
