Port Harcourt Refinery: Anxiety Mounts Over Empty Loading Bay

Port Harcourt Refinery's Operational Status in Question

“They are de-watering, removing the water under the PMS. Maybe there will...”

The Port Harcourt Refinery's operational status is under scrutiny as workers reveal technical issues and a lack of activity on site.

The recent inauguration of a new plant at the Port Harcourt Refinery's Area 5 terminal by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, had initially sparked optimism on November 26. Reports had suggested that up to 200 petrol trucks were loading daily from the facility, implying a significant boost to the country's fuel supply.

However, this optimism was short-lived as it emerged that the trucks were being filled with old products stored in the tanks, rather than freshly refined fuel. This revelation has cast doubts on the refinery's actual operational status and its ability to meet Nigeria's fuel demands. A visit to the Area 5 terminal confirmed that there were no visible signs of active operations, further fueling skepticism.

According to an anonymous official, the trucks were carrying what is known as “dead stock” products, which are no longer suitable for sale from the refinery. This has raised serious concerns about the refinery's readiness to meet Nigeria's fuel demands and the credibility of the resumption announcement. The discrepancy between the reported activities and the actual state of operations at the refinery has sparked widespread skepticism and criticism.

The initial enthusiasm surrounding the Port Harcourt Refinery's resumption of activities on November 26 has quickly dissipated, giving way to skepticism among Nigerians regarding the refinery's actual operational status.

As of November 29, a visit to the refinery revealed a stark absence of on-site activity. According to some workers, the refinery is currently undergoing a calibration process, which is expected to continue into the following week. This development has raised concerns about the refinery's ability to meet its scheduled deadlines.

The Port Harcourt Refinery has been plagued by a series of delays and missed deadlines, casting a shadow over its anticipated return to full operations. Despite repeated assurances, the refinery's struggles to resume normal functioning have led to widespread disillusionment and frustration among stakeholders and the general public.

“Before the refinery was shut down between 2015/2016, we had dead stock left in the tank, including some Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) DPK (kerosene), and Automated Gas Oil (diesel),” He said.

“So, these products were in large quantities in stores in those tanks. During the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery, Old Area 5, those products were evacuated from the tanks for storage.”

He noted, however, that a significant portion of the refined petrol did not meet specifications, requiring separation from water to achieve the desired product quality and color.

“But for DPK, it is in large quantity but they have not pushed it from the tank where it was kept after refined ready for commercial purposes.

“So, the product that was loaded was dead stock, that is the old product that was in the system. So, after these dead stocks, they will have to clean the tank, remove all the debris before pumping the new project into that tank, and redye it,” the source said.

The worker stressed that modern refineries worldwide should adopt electronic operations rather than relying on manual processes to ensure efficiency, accuracy, and safety.

“But what they are trying to do at the Port Harcourt Refinery is manual, which cannot match the new digital pumps. Most of the pumps used for the event were refurbished,” he added.

A visit to the refinery revealed a stark contrast to the expected bustling activity. Nine trucks were parked on site, but the eighteen loading bays stood empty, with some workers seen reclining, indicating a lack of operations.

When questioned about the inactivity, a worker clad in overalls attributed the halt in operations to technical issues. According to the worker, there had been no further activity since the initial loading, contradicting expectations of a surge in operations. Instead, the number of trucks at the refinery had dwindled, casting doubt on the refinery's ability to meet its operational targets.

“They are de-watering, removing the water under the PMS. Maybe there will be loading after that, but we don't know what time today.” The worker said.

A worker stationed at the loading bay attributed the delay to the ongoing calibration process of the refinery's systems, which was still in progress.

“They are calibrating the meters,” he said tersely.

A startling revelation emerged, indicating that the petrol remaining in the storage tanks would barely be enough to fill five trucks, a far cry from the anticipated capacity.

According to a reliable source, the calibration work is expected to continue until Monday, December 2. Following the completion of the calibration process, the loading of kerosene (DPK) and diesel (AGO) is slated to commence.

A local resident from Alode in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, who identified himself as Osaro, shared his thoughts on the situation, offering a unique perspective from a community impacted by the refinery's operations.

“After that ceremony with Mele Kyari where they said the refinery had started operation and loading was taking place, what happened afterwards? They continued loading on air, that is on the pages of newspapers and social media,” Osaro said.

Dr. Joseph Obelle, National Public Relations Officer of PETROAN, attributed the delay to the ongoing calibration process at the refinery, emphasizing that this technical procedure was necessary to ensure the facility's optimal performance.

“They are calibrating the loading pumps. They will be done today,” Obelle said.

The Senate Committee on Petroleum embarked on a facility tour of the Port Harcourt refinery on Thursday, November 28. However, the outcome of their visit remains undisclosed, leaving many in anticipation of their findings.

In a recent development, Timothy Mgbere, a community leader from Alesa, sparked controversy by claiming that the Port Harcourt refinery was not producing fuel. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) swiftly responded, issuing a statement to refute Mgbere's allegations. Olufemi Soneye, NNPC's spokesperson, countered Mgbere's claims, suggesting that he lacked a fundamental understanding of refinery operations.

“The old and new Port Harcourt refineries have since been integrated with one single terminal for product 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,” Soneye said.

He implored the public to disregard the allegations, characterizing them as misinformed and uninformed remarks driven by ulterior motives.