The Port Harcourt Refining Company has confirmed that it has reduced its operations to allow for necessary upgrades at the facility, clarifying that activities were not entirely halted.
Moyi Maidunama, the Executive Director of Operations for the Nigerian Pipeline and Storage Company Limited, shared this update during a guided tour of the refinery on Sunday. The visit was led by the company’s Managing Director, Ibrahim Onoja.
Maidunama acknowledged the temporary operational slowdown but emphasized its necessity for addressing technical challenges and improving the refinery’s capacity.
“So, the operations were not halted. It was obviously reduced due to some improvements that we needed to make,” he explained.
He also assured stakeholders that product distribution was ongoing, noting, “We are managing the process with the number of trucks available today, using a few loading arms for evacuation. This should be resolved soon.”
Worlu Joel, the Terminal Manager at the Port Harcourt Depot, confirmed that the facility was actively distributing refined products, including Premium Motor Spirit, kerosene, and diesel. However, he raised concerns about the low number of tanker drivers arriving to transport the products.
“We have surplus products available and operational loading arms, but we’ve had to beg tanker drivers to come and evacuate products,” Joel said.
According to him, over ten trucks had already been loaded, with expectations to dispatch at least 15 by the end of the day. He highlighted the depot’s efficiency, noting that it has 11 operational loading bays, three of which are currently in use.
“If you give us 100 trucks today, we can evacuate them in less than five hours,” he assured.
Managing Director Ibrahim Onoja pointed out that the refinery had undergone significant upgrades to enhance its efficiency and reliability.
“The plant is running, and we are trucking out our products,” Onoja said.
He elaborated on the improvements, stating, “We’ve carried out a massive revamp, replacing most of the equipment, including pumps, instrumentation, and cables. What we’ve done here is a significant upgrade of the facility.”
The Port Harcourt Refining Company assured stakeholders of its commitment to maintaining steady product distribution while enhancing the refinery’s overall operations through ongoing improvements.
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