Port Harcourt Refinery shutdown: PETROAN makes fresh demands on NNPCL

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has asked Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to adhere to a 30-day timeline for the repair of the refinery.

PETROAN spokesperson Joseph Obele disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

This comes as NNPCL on Saturday announced the shutdown of Port Harcourt Refinery on the basis of maintenance and sustainability assessment.

Reacting, PETROAN stressed that adherence to a 30-day repair timeline would minimise disruptions to petroleum product supply.

It further warned that exceeding the 30-day maintenance timeline may exacerbate the country’s petroleum supply challenges and cause pain to millions of Nigerians.

According to PETROAN’s National President, Billy Gillis-Harry, the refinery’s shutdown for maintenance is expected, but the association wants NNPCL to adhere to the scheduled 30-day repair timeline to minimise disruptions to petroleum product supply.

PETROAN fears that the 30-day schedule might not be realistic due to usual bottlenecks, potentially leading to further delays and exacerbating supply challenges.

The association is worried that delays in the old refinery’s 30-day rehabilitation schedule may worsen economic hardship for millions of Nigerians and it will have a negative effect on the business of PETROAN members who bought millions of litres of petroleum products from NNPCL refinery depot resulting to loss of capital.

PETROAN listed its demands on NNPCL as follows.

“Inclusion of PMS Blending Unit: PETROAN emphasises that the repair process must include the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) blending unit, as the crude oil cracking process is of no value without

“Timely Completion: PETROAN demands that NNPCL complete the repair before existing stocks run dry to prevent market monopolisation and ensure a stable supply of petroleum products.

“Preventing Monopoly: Completing the repair on time will help maintain competition in the market, benefiting consumers and the economy.

“Task Force Setup: PETROAN recommends that the Honourable Minister of Petroleum set up a task force comprising all Petroleum Industry Stakeholders Forum to monitor the 30-day repairs.

“Weekly Progress Briefs: The task force should brief Nigerians on the job progress every weekend to ensure transparency and accountability in achieving the 30-day repair schedule.

“Prompt Payments to Contractors: PETROAN recommends that payments to contractors handling the repairs be made promptly to avoid delays and ensure the project stays on track.”