Oil marketers warn of economic fallout as Port Harcourt Refinery remains idle

Oil marketers have raised concerns over what they described as the “slow pace” of repair work at the Old Port Harcourt Refinery. The refinery was shut down on May 24 for a scheduled 30-day maintenance.

9The Zonal Chairman of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) System 2E (Eastern Zone), Sunny Nkpe, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

The statement followed stakeholders’ visit to the facility. Nkpe alleged that the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Engr. Bashir Ojulari, had yet to visit the refinery since assuming office four months ago.

“The contractors lamented that they are owed for over 12 months without funding. All was set for the Old Port Harcourt Refinery to commence production, as repairs to the cracking and blending plants of Unit 12 and Unit 14 were almost completed before the new GCEO of NNPCL gave no commitment and showed lack of interest,” the statement read.

Nkpe further alleged that the delay appeared to favour private refineries, granting them a competitive monopoly and enabling them to charge “outrageous” prices for petroleum products. He said consultations were ongoing with stakeholders to determine the next course of action.

He identified those affected by the refinery’s dormant state to include the Industrial Motor Branch (IMB) of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) unit of NUPENG, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), the National Union of Gas Station Attendants of Nigeria (NUGASAN), and other allied bodies.

“Thousands of tanker drivers are out of work, alongside PETROAN and IPMAN staff. We must agree on legitimate options to call for the revival of the Port Harcourt Refinery,” he said.

“The refinery is crucial to Nigeria’s petroleum supply chain, serving major cities such as Aba, Enugu, and Makurdi, among others.

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COURTESY: vavalue.com