Port Harcourt Refinery to begin supplying petrol to marketers this week

Barring any last-minute changes, petroleum marketers and retailers are set to start lifting Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) directly from the Port Harcourt Refining Company this week.

The Publicity Secretary of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Joseph Obele, revealed this in an exclusive interview.

Since the refinery began operations in November, it has exclusively supplied fuel to Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) retail outlets. While marketers continue to load fuel from the NNPCL, Obele clarified that the products currently supplied are imported.

Obele expressed concerns over the price disparity between Lagos and Port Harcourt, citing higher logistics costs. He urged the NNPCL to sell petrol at N899 per litre in Port Harcourt, the same price offered to Lagos marketers, instead of the current N970 per litre.

“We plead with the NNPC to sell to us at the same rate they sell to Lagos marketers. The difference is too much. Since the Port Harcourt refinery is now operational, we request direct supply at uniform rates,” Obele stated.

He added that the pricing disparity has caused discomfort among retailers in Port Harcourt, and marketers are hopeful the refinery’s direct supply will address this issue.

The NNPC recently announced that the old Port Harcourt refinery, with a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, resumed operations in November after several delays. Rehabilitation work on the new refinery, with a capacity of 150,000 barrels per day, is ongoing.

NNPC spokesperson Olufemi Soneye confirmed that the refinery currently produces naphtha, which is blended to manufacture petrol.

Marketers in Port Harcourt and surrounding areas anticipate this week’s commencement of direct fuel purchases from the refinery, which could improve supply logistics and potentially stabilize prices.