Port Harcourt Refinery has resumed production – PENGASSAN
The refinery is producing products such as diesel, kerosene, and petrol through its distillation unit
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has confirmed that the Port Harcourt Refinery has resumed production.
Mr Festus Osifo, President of PENGASSAN, disclosed this while addressing newsmen at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to Osifo, the refinery rehabilitation was made possible through stringent financial oversight and the active involvement of unions in the project’s management.
He noted that the refinery is producing products such as diesel, kerosene, and petrol through its distillation unit.
Osifo attributed the past attempts to refurbish the refinery’s little progress to the lack of transparency and accountability.
Port Harcourt Refinery Resumption: Celebration vs Skepticism
He commended the establishment of a steering committee, including representatives from PENGASSAN and NUPENG, to ensure transparency and accountability.
Although the refinery’s functionality is a significant milestone, Osifo noted that the impact on fuel prices remained limited due to the devaluation of the naira.
According to him, with the exchange rate at about N1,700 to 1 dollar, the cost of goods, including petroleum products, is bound to remain high.
Osifo reiterated PENGASSAN’s call for adopting the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) ownership model for managing the nation’s refineries.
He urged the government to involve reputable international oil companies with expertise in refinery management to achieve similar results for the nation’s refineries.
Scepticism
The Port Harcourt Refinery has experienced seven failed deadlines for resuming operations, which has fostered a perception of incompetence and mismanagement within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
This history of delays has created a narrative that undermines confidence in the refinery’s ability to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s energy needs.
BRANDECONOMY Nigerians undoubtedly desire for the Port Harcourt Refinery and , indeed, all other NNPC refineries to become fully operational. It is the general belief that once they join Dangote Refinery and other modular refineries to produce petroleum products including petrol, desiel and kerosene locally, the energy costs currently asphyxiatiating families, home, offices and businesses would ease off, so that the depressed economy can begin a rebound urgently. Truth is Nigerians would rather celebrate than villify any govrnment action that provides meaningful contributions in their lives.
