The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has dismissed allegations by a self-proclaimed, self-styled community person, one Timothy Mgbere, regarding the state of the revived Port Harcourt Refinery.
In a strongly worded press release, the company described his assertions as a “crass display of ignorance” and sought to clarify the facts to prevent misinformation.
Mgbere had alleged in a viral video that the recently publicized restreaming of the Port Harcourt Refinery and the truck-out of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) were false.
He further claimed that the refinery’s operations were skeletal and questioned the legitimacy of the PMS truck-out process.
NNPC Ltd, however, refuted the claims, stating they were based on a misunderstanding of the refinery’s integrated operations.
According to a statement by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd., Mr. Olufemi Soneye, on Friday, he clarified that the Port Harcourt Refinery comprises the old and new Port Harcourt refineries, which operate as a single entity with shared facilities.
“The old and new Port Harcourt Refineries have since been integrated with one single terminal for products load-out, sharing common utilities like power and storage tanks,” the statement said.
The company emphasized that the loading gantry, which Mgbere attributed to the new Port Harcourt Refinery, also handles products from the old Port Harcourt Refinery.
The company pointed out the inconsistencies in Mgbere’s claims, highlighting his assertion that the PMS loaded from the refinery was “old stock” from the old Port Harcourt Refinery.
The national oil company questioned how the alleged “old stock” could be moved to the shared gantry of the New Port Harcourt Refinery if the facilities were truly separate, as Mgbere suggested.
“This is nothing but ignorance on full display,” the company remarked.
NNPC Ltd. also debunked other “wild claims” made by Mgbere, including his assertion that the refinery produces 1.4 million barrels of oil per day.
The company noted that the facility’s nameplate capacity is 60,000 barrels of oil per day, with current operations running at 90% throughput.
This translates to 1.4 million litres of PMS (blended from Straight-Run Gasoline), in addition to diesel and kerosene.
In its statement, NNPC Ltd. also urged the public to disregard Mgbere’s claims, attributing them to either a lack of knowledge or deliberate mischief.
“The self-acclaimed ‘community person’ clearly lacks understanding of the refinery’s operations,” the company said, adding that it remains committed to transparency and the efficient management of the nation’s resources.
This rebuttal underscores the importance of verifying information before sharing it, particularly in sensitive sectors like energy, where misinformation can have far-reaching implications.
NNPC Ltd. reiterated its commitment to keeping the public informed about its operations and ensuring Nigeria’s energy security.
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