The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has revealed that the Port Harcourt Refining Company, which has been shut down since May 24, 2025, is still supplying 349,000 litres of diesel daily. Despite being in shutdown mode, the refinery is evacuating diesel produced before its closure, with no production activities currently taking place.
The refinery’s shutdown, initially intended to last for one month, has now entered its seventh month, with no signs of resuming operations. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited had announced the shutdown for maintenance, but the plant has yet to restart production. This is not the first time the refinery has experienced a prolonged shutdown, having been declared operational in November 2024 after years of inactivity.
The Port Harcourt refinery was expected to produce significant quantities of diesel, petrol, and other petroleum products, with a daily capacity of 1.5 million litres of diesel and 2.1 million litres of pour fuel oil. However, six months after its rehabilitation and resumption of production, the facility was shut down again.
The new Group Chief Executive of the NNPC, Bayo Ojulari, has stated that the refinery was running at a loss, with estimated monthly losses of $300-500 million. Ojulari attributed this to the refinery’s inability to process more than 40% of the crude oil it received. The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria has called for the privatisation of Nigeria’s state-owned refineries, citing the need for improved operational efficiency and private investment.
The NNPC has rejected calls for the sale of the refineries, with Ojulari expressing confidence that the plants can be revamped and repositioned as sustainable, revenue-generating assets. The ongoing technical and commercial review is part of a broader plan to improve the refineries’ operational standards and meet Nigeria’s fuel demand. The shutdown of the Port Harcourt Refining Company and the uncertainty surrounding its future operations have significant implications for Nigeria’s energy sector and the country’s reliance on imported petroleum products.