The Port Harcourt Refining Company has suspended operations shortly after restarting production. A recent report from The Punch, following a site visit on December 19, 2024, confirmed that the facility is not currently producing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
Gasoline distribution halted on December 13. During the visit, the loading area, which typically accommodates 18 trucks for petrol filling, was found to be vacant. Although 18 trucks were stationed along the main road and an additional nine were in the parking lot, none were being loaded. The depot, usually bustling with activity, was notably quiet, with very few personnel or vehicles present.
On November 26, 2024, Mele Kyari, the head of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, celebrated the reopening of the refinery. It was anticipated that the facility would produce 60,000 barrels of oil per day following a $1.5 billion investment in repairs made in March 2021.
During the reopening event, some trucks were loaded with gasoline amid cheers from the crowd. However, reports suggest that only around 10 trucks were actually filled that day, contrary to claims of 200. There are indications that the fuel supplied may have been older stock from storage rather than freshly refined products.
Three weeks ago, the loading area was empty. The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria attributed this to the need for equipment calibration and the removal of water from older fuel supplies.
Two weeks prior, there was a brief resumption of fuel loading. During a media tour led by Managing Director Ibrahim Onoja, he asserted, “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 a massive change and upgrade of the plant.”
Following this statement, operations saw a slight improvement, with about 11 trucks receiving fuel on one day and even more the next. However, all production came to a halt just a week ago.
At present, only a small number of truck drivers are present at the facility, primarily resting in their vehicles. According to The Punch, one driver mentioned that he had heard loading operations could resume on Monday, although he expressed skepticism regarding this claim. The facility is predominantly staffed by security personnel dressed in black pants and blue shirts, who are stationed at the depot entrance, loading area, and throughout the interior of the facility.