Port Harcourt refinery still evacuating diesel despite shutdown
The Port Harcourt Refining Company remains shut down, yet continues to supply 349,000 litres of diesel daily, according to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). The refinery was shut for maintenance by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), but diesel produced before the shutdown is still being evacuated. The facility has not resumed production activities, and the shutdown has lasted several months. Calls for privatisation of Nigeria’s refineries have intensified, but NNPC leadership remains focused on rehabilitation.
TLDR
- The Port Harcourt Refining Company was shut down on May 24, 2025, but continues to evacuate diesel produced before the shutdown.
- The NMDPRA reports that 349,000 litres of diesel are supplied daily from existing stock as of November.
- The refinery was declared operational in November 2024 after rehabilitation, but was locked again six months later.
- The shutdown for maintenance has entered its seventh month, with no resumption of operations.
- The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria urges privatisation by the first quarter of 2026, but NNPC leadership prefers continued rehabilitation.
