Why Port Harcourt Refinery Fails to Operate in September

By Ome Africa

NNPC may have been misunderstood if the information at our disposal is anything to go by.

Palpable insiders has gave reasons on why the Port Harcourt Refinery couldn’t commence operation in September as planned by NNPC. The source pleaded not to be mentioned stated that if not for the crash of the cooling system, Port Harcourt Refinery would have commence sales of AGO in September as planned.

According to the source, security forces is believed to be working to unravel the circumstances behind the sudden collapse of the system at the Port Harcourt Refinery in September, despite all efforts to revive it. This medium can authoritatively report.

Highly placed oil industry sources confided on our reporter that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC Limited had worked tirelessly to ensure the resumption of refining activities at the Port Harcourt Refinery in September.

“They didn’t fail to keep their promise” a source familiar with activities within the oil industry revealed.

The insider stressed that refining of AGO was programmed to begin September. “Yes, it is AGO, not PMS yet” the source said, insisting the operators planned to extend the activities to refining of PMS.

Our reporter learnt that the unexpected happened when, in simple terms: the cooling and heating system which was central to the operations suddenly crashed.

In technical terms, Port Harcourt Refinery was ready to begin production of AGO insiders reaffirmed.But the unfortunate twist made it impossible.

“We believe the security may be investigating the circumstances behind the crash of the system”, a source who was not authorised to speak on the matter.

It was further learnt NNPC is working assiduously to revive the system at the Port Harcourt refinery with the appropriate measures.The officials, it said, may not give any deadline to commence operation.

The source insisted NNPC is not as bad as it is being painted. The company has moved from being a state-owned corporation to a limited liability company. Naturally, there could be cultural issues. Nevertheless, the company has some of the best trained and competent workers, the insider maintained.

Recently, NNPC has been, literally, in the eyes of the storm, with the commencement of activities at Dangote refinery. The reported PMS pricing issues and crude delivery or lack of it has put NNPC under intense bad spotlight.

Insiders however said NNPC is changing positively and there are better days ahead for Nigeria.

For the average Nigerians though, it is the price of petrol, which has ripple effects on economic activities, that remains a major concern.

Independent investigation by Some Africa revealed that NNPC buy PMS from Dangote refinery and sell it to marketers at a subsidized rate and not necessarily regulating price for Dangote refinery as being peddled.

Further investigations revealed that now that NNPC has hands off buying from Dangote refinery and selling to marketers, the price of PMS would increase in the coming days, because NNPC hitherto sell to marketers as a subsidized rates.