The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has refuted claims that the recent loading of petrol at the rehabilitated Old Port Harcourt Refinery involved old petroleum stock. The allegations, made by Timothy Mgbere, a representative of the Alesa community stakeholders, accused the NNPC of staging the refinery’s re-streaming and truck-loading activities.

NNPC spokesperson Femi Soneye dismissed these claims as a “crass display of ignorance.” Mgbere had questioned why petrol loading occurred at the New Port Harcourt Refinery’s gantry if the Old Refinery had been re-streamed, and alleged that the loaded petrol was old stock.

Clarifying the operations, the NNPC explained that the Old and New Port Harcourt Refineries function as an integrated system, sharing utilities such as power, storage tanks, and a unified loading gantry. “The storage tanks and loading gantry, which he attributed to the New Refinery, also handle products from the Old Refinery,” the statement read.

NNPC further debunked Mgbere’s claim that the Old Refinery produces 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd), stating its nameplate capacity is 60,000 bpd. Currently, the refinery operates at 90% throughput, generating 1.4 million liters of petrol daily from naphtha, along with diesel and kerosene.

Soneye criticized Mgbere’s contradictory assertions, calling his argument “ignorance on full display.” The NNPC urged the public to disregard the accusations, labeling them as baseless and misleading.

The clarification follows NNPC’s November 26 announcement that the Port Harcourt Refinery had resumed crude oil processing and begun truck-loading petroleum products.