Petrol Supply: Port Harcourt Refinery to Serve Private Marketers Amid Pricing Concerns
Joseph Obele, Publicity Secretary of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), revealed the development in an exclusive interview, expressing cautious optimism about the refinery’s operational shift.
Since the facility’s recommissioning in November, fuel supplies have been reserved for retail outlets operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). While private marketers continue to source products from the NNPCL, Obele clarified that the fuel they purchase remains largely imported.
Despite the milestone, Obele voiced frustration over pricing disparities. “NNPCL is still telling us to buy at a rate different from Lagos due to logistics. Port Harcourt retail outlet owners are not comfortable with this. We plead that the refinery sells to us at N899 per litre, like in Lagos, instead of N970,” he stated.
The current arrangement sees Lagos marketers purchasing imported PMS at significantly lower prices than their Port Harcourt counterparts. Obele urged the NNPC to harmonise pricing now that the refinery has stock available. “Sell to us at the same rate you sell to Lagos marketers,” he appealed.
The Port Harcourt refinery, rehabilitated after years of dormancy, now produces naphtha, a key component blended into petrol. Its 60,000 barrels-per-day capacity is expected to ease Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel. Rehabilitation of the adjacent 150,000-barrel-per-day facility is reportedly nearing completion.
NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye confirmed the refinery’s operations but did not address the pricing concerns directly. Meanwhile, PETROAN remains optimistic that a resolution will align retail pricing across Nigeria’s fuel depots, marking a significant step towards refining efficiency and equitable distribution.
Marketers and retailers of petroleum products are poised to begin lifting Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) directly from the Port Harcourt Refining Company this week, barring any last-minute changes.
Joseph Obele, Publicity Secretary of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), revealed the development in an exclusive interview, expressing cautious optimism about the refinery’s operational shift.
Since the facility’s recommissioning in November, fuel supplies have been reserved for retail outlets operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). While private marketers continue to source products from the NNPCL, Obele clarified that the fuel they purchase remains largely imported.
Despite the milestone, Obele voiced frustration over pricing disparities. “NNPCL is still telling us to buy at a rate different from Lagos due to logistics. Port Harcourt retail outlet owners are not comfortable with this. We plead that the refinery sells to us at N899 per litre, like in Lagos, instead of N970,” he stated.
The current arrangement sees Lagos marketers purchasing imported PMS at significantly lower prices than their Port Harcourt counterparts. Obele urged the NNPC to harmonise pricing now that the refinery has stock available. “Sell to us at the same rate you sell to Lagos marketers,” he appealed.
The Port Harcourt refinery, rehabilitated after years of dormancy, now produces naphtha, a key component blended into petrol. Its 60,000 barrels-per-day capacity is expected to ease Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel. Rehabilitation of the adjacent 150,000-barrel-per-day facility is reportedly nearing completion.
NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye confirmed the refinery’s operations but did not address the pricing concerns directly. Meanwhile, PETROAN remains optimistic that a resolution will align retail pricing across Nigeria’s fuel depots, marking a significant step towards refining efficiency and equitable distribution.
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