Refinery Chaos! PETROAN Slams NNPCL Over Port Harcourt Shutdown, Issues Fresh Demands

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to strictly adhere to a 30-day repair schedule for the Port Harcourt Refinery.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The call was made in a statement on Sunday by PETROAN spokesperson, Joseph Obele, following NNPCL’s announcement on Saturday that the refinery would be temporarily shut down for maintenance and sustainability assessment.

Responding to the shutdown, PETROAN emphasized that sticking to the 30-day timeline is crucial to minimizing disruptions in the supply of petroleum products across the country. The association warned that any delay beyond the 30-day window could deepen the nation’s fuel supply crisis and inflict greater economic hardship on millions of Nigerians.

PETROAN’s National President, Billy Gillis-Harry, acknowledged that periodic maintenance of the refinery is expected, but he urged NNPCL to remain committed to the timeline in order to prevent severe consequences for both consumers and stakeholders.

He raised concerns that the proposed timeline might not be feasible due to recurring bureaucratic delays, which could worsen the nation’s fuel supply challenges. PETROAN also noted that extended delays would negatively affect its members, many of whom have invested in millions of litres of petroleum products from the NNPCL depot — risking significant financial losses.

PETROAN outlined several key demands to NNPCL:

1. Inclusion of PMS Blending Unit: The association insists that the repairs must cover the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) blending unit, stating that refining crude without PMS processing is ineffective.

2. Timely Completion: PETROAN demands that repairs be concluded before existing petroleum stock is depleted, warning that delays could lead to market monopoly and supply instability.

3. Preventing Monopoly: Timely repairs are essential to preserving competition in the petroleum sector, which benefits consumers and supports economic stability.

4. Creation of a Monitoring Task Force: PETROAN recommends that the Minister of Petroleum set up a multi-stakeholder task force to oversee the repair works and ensure accountability.

5. Weekly Progress Updates: The proposed task force should provide weekly updates to Nigerians to ensure transparency and public trust in the 30-day rehabilitation process.

6. Prompt Contractor Payments: PETROAN also called on the NNPCL to ensure timely payment to contractors, cautioning that delays in funding could stall the entire repair effort.