The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has stated that it is waiting for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to reopen its portal, allowing members to resume lifting petroleum products from the Warri Refinery.
The 125,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery, which recently resumed operations after undergoing rehabilitation for several years, began loading petroleum products about a month ago.
However, NNPCL temporarily shut down the facility for routine maintenance, assuring that it would resume operations soon.
Speaking in a telephone interview, PETROAN President Dr. Billy Gillis-Harris confirmed that the association has an allocation to lift products from the Warri Refinery.
“We were lifting from there before, and we are waiting for NNPCL to open its portal so we can continue lifting. Once it is reopened, we will resume lifting petroleum products,” he stated.
Similarly, the National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Alhaji Maigandi Garima, disclosed that members of the association are currently lifting petroleum products from the Dangote Refinery through MRS in Warri and Calabar.
He further revealed that IPMAN members anticipate lifting products from the Port Harcourt Refinery soon.
“For Warri and Port Harcourt refineries, we are waiting for NNPCL to commence loading for our marketers. Many of our members have now shifted to the Dangote/MRS arrangement, reducing their reliance on private tank farm owners. Only marketers who have yet to complete their registration with MRS still source from depots,” Garima explained.
Meanwhile, NNPCL’s Chief Communications Officer, Mr. Olufemi Soneye, was unavailable for comments.
However, in a recent statement, he refuted claims of an explosion at the Warri Refinery, dismissing such reports as “completely false.”
Soneye clarified that on January 25, 2025, operations at WRPC Area 1 were intentionally scaled down to conduct maintenance on key equipment, including field instruments affecting steady production.
“These intervention works are crucial to ensuring the continuous production of finished and intermediate petroleum products, particularly Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and kerosene,” he said.
He further assured that routine maintenance is on track, and Area 1 of the refinery will resume operations in the coming days. Despite ongoing maintenance, AGO loading has continued at an average of eight trucks per day, with sufficient supply available for ongoing distribution.
NNPCL reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a steady supply of petroleum products and expressed appreciation to stakeholders for their patience during the maintenance period.