By Austin Ogwuda

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has expressed profound gratitude to Nigerians for their overwhelming support and enthusiasm following the successful restart of the 60,000 barrels-per-day Old Port Harcourt Refinery. This development represents a milestone in revitalising the nation’s refining capacity after years of challenges and underperformance.

In a statement signed by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, NNPC Ltd reaffirmed the refinery’s operational success, dismissing unfounded claims by certain quarters suggesting the facility was not producing.

“For clarity, the Old Port Harcourt Refinery is currently operating at 70% of its installed capacity, with plans to scale up to 90%. The refinery produces 1.4 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS or petrol), 900,000 litres of kerosene, 1.5 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil (diesel), 2.1 million litres of Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO), and additional volumes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) daily,” the statement read.

NNPC further clarified that the refinery blends Straight-Run Gasoline (naphtha) with C5, a component supplied by Indorama Petrochemicals, to meet industry standards. The company emphasised that blending is standard practice globally, as no single refining unit can produce gasoline that fully complies with any country’s specifications without blending processes.

The statement also highlighted progress on the new Port Harcourt Refinery, assuring Nigerians that it would commence operations shortly.

“We urge Nigerians to focus on the remarkable progress achieved under the transformative leadership of President Bola Tinubu. Malicious attacks on clear advancements only serve to undermine the substantial strides made by NNPC Ltd and the nation,” Mr Soneye remarked.

NNPC Ltd called on citizens to unite in supporting efforts to build a stronger and more self-reliant energy sector, affirming that the revitalisation of the Old Port Harcourt Refinery signals a step towards achieving greater energy security for the country.

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