Port Harcourt Refinery has reportedly halted operations just three days after resuming activities.

The Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) has abruptly halted crude oil processing, just three days after the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd announced the resumption of operations at the facility.

A visit to the refinery on November 29 revealed a striking lack of activity, with no visible signs of operation, according to reports from Punch.

Several employees at the refinery shared that the facility is currently undergoing a calibration process, which may continue into next week.

Earlier this week, NNPC had asserted that trucks had begun loading various petroleum products, including Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and Household Kerosene (HHK), from the refinery.

However, an anonymous source within the refinery informed Punch that the trucks loaded on November 26 contained “dead stock.”

This source explained, “Before the refinery was shut down in 2015/2016, there was leftover dead stock in the tanks, including some Premium Motor Spirit, DPK (kerosene), and Automated Gas Oil. These products remained in significant quantities during the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery, Old Area 5, and were evacuated for storage.”

The official noted that while there is a large quantity of refined petrol, it was deemed “off-spec” and requires separation from water to achieve the desired quality.

“For DPK, there are substantial amounts, but they have not yet been moved from the tank where they were stored after refining, ready for commercial use. Thus, the loaded products were essentially old stock that had been in the system. Once these dead stocks are cleared, the tanks will need to be cleaned, removing any debris before new product can be introduced and dyed appropriately.”

Femi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, stated on November 26 that the refinery was operating at 60 percent capacity, processing around 60,000 barrels per day.

Soneye also dismissed claims made by Alesa community leader Timothy Mgbere, who alleged that the Port Harcourt refinery was not producing fuel.

He clarified, “The old and new Port Harcourt refineries have been integrated into a single terminal for product loading. They share common utilities, including power and storage tanks. Therefore, the storage tanks and loading gantry attributed to the new Port Harcourt Refinery can also receive products from the old refinery.”

Soneye urged the public to disregard claims that stem from “sheer mischief and blatant ignorance.”