National oil company, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, said it has uncovered and confiscated products from 63 illegal refineries in the past week. A documentary by the company on Wednesday, said in the past week, 19 illegal pipeline connections and 63 illegal refineries were uncovered in the Niger Delta.
The company announced the development amidst fresh concerns over the delay in the commencement of operations by the Port Harcourt Refinery as earlier announced. The Port Harcourt Refining Company, a refinery under the management of the company in Rivers State, had again failed to commence operations after about six postponements. The Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and NNPCL had promised to get the refinery up and running this month, however, no sign of the facility kick-starting crude oil refining just yet as the month drags to an end.
In July, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari, stated categorically that the refinery would come into operation in early August. This is after he said in 2019, that the NNPCL would deliver all the country’s four refineries before the end of former president Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. “I can confirm to you, Mr Chairman, that by the end of the year, this country will be a net exporter of petroleum products.
“Specific to NNPC refineries, we have spoken to a number of your committees, and it is impossible to have the Kaduna refinery come into operation before December, it will get to December, both Warri and Kaduna, but that of Port Harcourt will commence production early August this year,” Kyari boasted while appearing before the Senate in July. However, the refinery has yet to commence operations as August hits midpoint today, sparking concerns that this might be another failed promise from the national oil company.
NNPCL has yet to comment on the reason for the delay.
However, in a bid to show its efforts at combating crude oil theft and boosting the country’s revenue, the company said 63 illegal refineries have been uncovered. According to the NNPC, about 177 incidents were recorded between August 3 and 9 by different incident sources, like Tantita Security Services, four; Shell Petroleum Development Company, 11; Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, 26; Maton Engineering Company, 20; NNPC 18 Operating Ltd, one; NNPC Command and Control Centre, 51; and government security agencies, 64.
