Port Harcourt Refinery: Secondary Units Inoperative; Blended Fuel May Impact Vehicles, Insiders Warn

Insiders at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) have raised concerns over the ongoing operations at the Port Harcourt Refinery, cautioning that blending “Crack C5” with Naphtha to produce Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) could adversely affect vehicles.

Sources confirmed on Wednesday that while the primary units of the refinery in Rivers State are operational, the secondary units required for full gasoline production have not been commissioned.

To address this, NNPCL has resorted to blending Crack C5—a petroleum resin sourced from Indorama Petrochemicals—with Naphtha to produce a form of petrol. While blending is standard practice in refineries globally, insiders note that this temporary solution might pose risks to vehicle performance.

“Currently, only the primary units are functional, processing crude into intermediate products like LPG, kerosene, and diesel,” a source explained. “PMS production typically depends on the secondary units, which are not ready yet. That’s why Crack C5 is being mixed with Naphtha to create a substitute. However, this blend can have effects on cars.”

Discrepancy in Public Statements

On Tuesday, NNPCL acknowledged these operations in response to earlier reports from SaharaReporters that claimed PMS was not being directly processed at the refinery.

The company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, stated that the old Port Harcourt Refinery, built in 1965, is currently functioning at 70% capacity, producing intermediate outputs like Straight-Run Gasoline (Naphtha) and blending it into 1.4 million liters of PMS daily.

“This refinery restart marks a significant milestone after years of operational setbacks,” Soneye said, adding that production includes kerosene, diesel, low pour fuel oil (LPFO), and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

However, sources within the refinery dismissed claims of direct PMS production, suggesting instead that NNPCL’s gasoline is derived by blending Crack C5 with Naphtha. “The old plant has a 60,000 barrels-per-day capacity but cannot produce PMS; it only processes diesel,” an insider claimed.

Progress on New Refinery

In addition to ramping up operations at the old facility, NNPCL revealed ongoing progress on the new Port Harcourt Refinery, expected to begin operations soon.

Soneye assured that blending practices align with international standards and meet required gasoline specifications. “No single refinery unit can produce gasoline without such processes,” he noted.

As work continues, experts are urging caution, particularly regarding the potential impact of blended fuel on vehicles, while calling for the swift commissioning of the secondary units to produce refined PMS directly.