We didn’t shut down Port Harcourt Refinery – NNPC

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) on Saturday said that the Old Port Harcourt Refinery is fully operational.

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The NNPC Ltd, in a statement by Olufemi Soneye, its chief corporate communications officer on Saturday, made this known in reaction to reports alleging that the refinery had been shut down, just two months after it resumed operations.

In its statement, the NNPC said the reports are totally “false”, noting that the preparations for the day’s loading operations are currently underway.

“The attention of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has been drawn to reports in a section of the media alleging that the Old Port Harcourt Refinery, which was re-streamed two months ago, has been shut down.

“We wish to clarify that such reports are totally false as the refinery is fully operational as verified a few days ago by former Group Managing Directors of NNPC. Preparation for the day’s loading operation is currently ongoing,” Mr Soneye said.

The NNPC urged members of the public to discountenance such reports as they are the figments of the imagination of those who want to create artificial scarcity and rip-off Nigerians.

Last month, the NNPC Ltd said the Port Harcourt refinery had commenced production after a long period of rehabilitation.

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The NNPC Ltd said the refinery began truck loading of petroleum products on Tuesday, 26 November.

Despite the NNPC Ltd’s repeated assurance of the refinery’s operational status, some have expressed scepticism about its functionality.

The Port Harcourt Refineries comprise two units, with the old plant having a refining capacity of 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) and the new plant 150,000 bpd, both summing up to 210,000 bpd.