Financial Energy Review
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has clarified the controversy surrounding the Port Harcourt refinery, confirming it is functional but lacks a critical reformer unit for petrol production.
PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, stated, “The Port Harcourt refinery is working. The Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) is operational, producing diesel (AGO), kerosene (DPK), and naphtha. However, the reformer unit, essential for refining naphtha into petrol (PMS), is not functional.”
He explained that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) is currently blending naphtha with Crack-C5 from Indorama to produce petrol. “Blending is not peculiar to Nigeria. What matters is that the refinery produces AGO, DPK, and PMS,” he added.
Osifo acknowledged public skepticism, citing past government failures. “Nigerians have every reason to doubt government pronouncements. Over the years, they have let us down,” he said.
The catalytic reforming unit (CRU), a key part of petrol production, remains absent due to its high cost, reportedly equivalent to installing two or three refinery trains.
While urging transparency, Osifo maintained that Nigerians should focus on product availability, not processes. “In all honesty, the refinery is working, and products are coming out,” he concluded.
This development sheds light on the refinery’s state amid calls for improved local refining capacity.
