The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has refuted reports that the revived Port Harcourt refinery has been shut down, stating that the facility is fully operational.
The national oil company, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, and made public on Saturday, described the reports as false.
According to the statement, the operational status of the refinery was recently verified by the former managing directors of the NNPC group, adding that the withdrawal of petroleum products is still ongoing at the 60,000 barrels per day refinery.
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“The attention of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has been drawn to reports in a section of the media alleging that the old Port Harcourt refinery, which was repurposed two months ago, has been closed.
“We want to clarify that such reports are totally false as the refinery is fully operational, as verified a few days ago by the former managing directors of the NNPC group.
“Preparations are currently underway for the day's loading operation,” the statement read.
The NNPCL, however, urged Nigerians to ignore such reports, describing them as “figments of the imagination of those who want to create artificial scarcity and defraud Nigerians.”
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