Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, recently stated that blending petroleum products at the old Port Harcourt refinery is not a violation of any regulations.
Gatekeepers News reports that during the commissioning of the NUPENG Towers in Lagos, he highlighted that the refinery is operational and actively engaged in loading operations.
On November 26, the refinery resumed crude oil processing after several years of inactivity. It has also begun loading petroleum products for transportation via trucks. The national oil company reported that the refinery is now producing straight-run petrol (naphtha), which is then blended into a total of 1.4 million liters of petrol daily.
Despite some public skepticism regarding the blending process—given that the facility is expected to refine crude oil—Kyari clarified that blending is a legitimate and essential component of the overall refining process.
“If you don’t blend, you will bring out off-spec products which will destroy your vehicles,” he said.
“Every refinery blends because what is on specification in the United States of America will be off-spec in Nigeria and elsewhere.
“Blending is necessary to bring products to the specification of different countries or regions.”
Kyari also invited those in doubt about the operationalisation of the refinery, including Femi Falana, human rights activist and lawyer, to join him on a tour of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries to verify their various statuses.
He congratulated NUPENG on the successful completion of the NUPENG Towers, urging the union to continue to prioritise dialogue and cooperation in its relationship with the NNPC and the federal government.
The GCEO said the president’s interventions in the oil and gas industry by way of executive orders are yielding positive results, with more investments coming in and prospects of more jobs in the industry.
