5 Controversies on PH Refinery and NNPCL’s Claims on Its Operation

The newly rehabilitated Port Harcourt Refinery has been a focal point of national discussions since it resumed operations, but claims from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) have sparked significant controversy. 

Refined Products or Stored Stock?

One of the biggest controversies revolves around the claim that the refinery is producing new refined products.According to Timothy Mgbere, the Secretary of the Alesa community stakeholders, the refinery’s true operational capacity has been greatly exaggerated. 

Despite the NNPCL’s claims that the facility has resumed operations at 70% of its capacity, Mgbere asserts that the refinery is still far from fully functional. He explains that the petroleum products recently loaded from the facility were not freshly refined but instead came from stocks that have been sitting in the refinery’s storage tanks for years. 

Discrepancy in Truck Loadings

NNPCL’s statement that the refinery was dispatching 200 trucks of petroleum products daily has been challenged. Local stakeholders, including the Alesa community secretary, reported that only six trucks were loaded on a given day, not the promised 200. 

This significant gap between what NNPCL claims and what is happening on the ground raises questions about the actual output of the refinery.

Questionable Automation and Efficiency

The refinery’s reported automation has been another point of contention. Critics have pointed out that despite claims of automated systems, the loading process is slow and inefficient. 

On a recent day, only four trucks were loaded over several hours, with each truck reportedly taking over six hours to load. This inefficiency is hard to reconcile with the claim that the refinery is operating at 70% capacity with automated systems.

Lack of Transparency in Feedstock and Supply

Industry experts have expressed frustration over the lack of clarity regarding where the refinery’s feedstock (crude oil) is coming from. NNPCL has not provided specific details on the source of the crude, leaving Nigerians in the dark about the refinery’s operations. 

This lack of transparency has led to concerns that the refinery may not be as functional as the public is led to believe.

Contractor Competence and Delays

The quality of work by the contractors handling the refinery’s rehabilitation has also been questioned. Community leaders claim that the contractor in charge of the project has been ineffective, subcontracting the work to other parties and failing to deliver meaningful results. 

This has contributed to delays and inefficiencies in the refinery’s operations, despite years of promises for its revival.