A month after, Port Harcourt refinery shuts down after $1.5bn rehabilitation -

Recall that on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, inaugurated of the 60,000 barrel per day production capacity plan.

Jubilant Nigerians were told that refinery came back to life after the rehabilitation of the facility which gulped $1.5bn. The fund was approved in March 2021.

During the re-opening of the facility, in November 26, there was lifting of petrol to the excitement of the cheering crowd.

That was notwithstanding that less than 10 trucks of petrol were lifted that day. That was against widespread claims that about 200 trucks carried petrol out of the bay, Saturday PUNCH stated.

According to Saturday PUNCH, no sooner had Kyari returned to Abuja than things returned to the old way. That was even as stakeholders alleged that the petrol lifted during the inauguration was old stock from the storage tank.

When Saturday PUNCH first visited the refinery three weeks ago, it was discovered that the loading bay was deserted without the lifting of products.

In response to the discovery, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, PPROAN, said operations were scaled down due to the calibration of meters at the loading bay and de-watering of the old stock, which had to be emptied to pave the way to receiving newly refined products, Saturday PUNCH reported.

However, a fortnight ago, tanker drivers drove in and started loading once again.

Journalists were also taken on a guided tour of the refinery, led by its Managing Director, Ibrahim Onoja.

Addressing the journalists, Onoja stated, “The plant is running and we are trucking out our products. We have carried out an extensive revamp of this plant and changed most of the equipment.

“The pump and instrumentation, the cables are all brand new. So, what we have done here is massive change and upgrade of the plant.”

Saturday PUNCH reported that afterward, there was marked improvement as about 11 trucks lifted products. Even as it was better the next day.

However, when Saturday PUNCH visited on Thursday, it was learnt that production activities stopped one week ago.

“A handful of drivers were seen sleeping in their trucks while doing nothing.

“One of them, who spoke Hausa, said he learned the lifting of PMS would resume next Monday.

“He, however, expressed doubt about the information as he counted the number of days with his fingers and muttered. “Three days; they said they would load on Monday.”

Saturday PUNCH also reported that the number of workers and visitors at the refinery could easily be counted. It observed that there were more security men clad in black trousers and blue shirts than visitors to the facility.

“The guards were stationed at the entrance of the depot and the loading bay, and inside the loading bay itself. They kept themselves busy as they chatted away,” PUNCH stated.

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, another truck driver said, “It was Friday last week they loaded last. About 15 trucks or so loaded that day. Since then, not even a single truck has been loaded till now.”

“I don’t know. Nobody is giving us any information or telling us anything. Some trucks that were here have left. I’m just here because my director said I should wait a bit,” the driver tried to explain.

source: Punch

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