Petroleum marketers and retailers in Port Harcourt are set to begin lifting Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) from the Port Harcourt Refining Company this week, according to Joseph Obele, Publicity Secretary of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN).
Obele explained that since the refinery resumed operations in November, it had only been supplying fuel to the retail outlets of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). However, the products being supplied by the NNPCL were imported.
He expressed concerns that the NNPCL was selling petrol to retailers in Port Harcourt at higher prices compared to Lagos, urging that the refinery should sell at N899 per litre instead of the current price of N970.
He stated, “We are requesting that the same rate NNPC is selling to our members in Lagos should apply to us here in Port Harcourt. We are not comfortable with the price disparity.”
Obele also clarified that marketers in Port Harcourt had not yet begun purchasing directly from the refinery, but that it was expected to start this week.
The NNPC had announced the resumption of operations at the 60,000 barrels per day refinery in November, with plans for the rehabilitation of the larger 150,000 barrels per day refinery still underway.
NNPC spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, confirmed that the refinery is currently producing naptha, which is then blended to produce petrol.
