.NNPCL refutes crude oil production figures disparity with NUPRC
By Cyril Ogar, Abuja
State-owned Port Harcourt Refinery has officially started producing petroleum products.
The development was announced by Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, yesterday.
Soneye also confirmed that truck loading operations would commence soonest.
He added that efforts are underway to bring the Warri Refinery back into operation.
“Today marks a monumental achievement for Nigeria as the Port Harcourt Refinery officially commences crude oil processing. This groundbreaking milestone signifies a new era of energy independence and economic growth for our nation.
“Hearty congratulations to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the NNPC Board, and the exceptional leadership of GCEO Mele Kyari for their unwavering commitment to this transformative project. Together, we are reshaping Nigeria’s energy future”, Soneye added.
In August, NNPC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, GCEO, Mele Kyari, announced that the Port Harcourt Refinery was set to commence operations after completing its testing phase.
He also revealed that over 450,000 barrels of oil had been delivered to the refinery in preparation for production.
“All crude lines are active and have actually delivered over 450,000 barrels into Port Harcourt refinery. We are confident of the integrity of it. Yes, there may be security issues, but also government is responding to the situation”, Kyari stated.
The commencement of operations at the Port Harcourt Refinery is expected to significantly boost Nigeria’s fuel supply, potentially positioning the country as a net exporter of petroleum products.
Despite being an oil-rich nation, Nigeria has relied heavily on importing petroleum products, including fuel. The country reportedly spends over $2 billion annually on petrol imports alone.
With the operationalization of both the Dangote Refinery and state-owned facilities, Nigeria aims to become a net exporter of petroleum products by 2025.
The Dangote Refinery, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is expected to meet local demand while exporting to neighboring countries.
For now, the Port Harcourt Refinery, operating at its current capacity, will primarily cater to domestic needs.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has clarified that its crude oil production figures align with those of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Company, NUPRC.
Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL made this known in a statement on Monday.
The clarification followed reports suggesting a discrepancy between the 1.54 million barrels per day, mbpd, figure for September cited by NUPRC and the 1.8 mbpd figure for November cited by NNPC Ltd.
He explained that the apparent difference was due to the varying periods covered in the reports. According to him, NNPCL’s figure represents the peak production for October 2024, while NUPRC’s figure is the average production for September 2024.
The statement noted that the Chief Executive Officer of NUPRC, Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, confirmed this at the recent 42nd Nigerian Association of Petroleum Exploration, NAPE, Annual International Conference and Exhibition in Lagos.
Komolafe revealed that Nigeria’s crude oil output, including condensate, rose by 16.56 per cent to 1.8 mbpd in October 2024, compared to 1.54 mbpd in September 2024.
“This represents an increase of 253,710 bpd to reach 1.8 million bpd in October, up from 1.54 million bpd in September 2024, representing a 16.56 per cent month-on-month rise”, Komolafe was quoted as saying.
He further stated that the 1.8 mbpd milestone exceeded Nigeria’s 1.5 mbpd quota set by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC.
“There is, therefore, no disparity or discrepancy in the production figures by NNPCL. And the regulator. NNPCL is working closely with relevant stakeholders to boost production to 2 mbpd and above by the end of 2024”, the statement added.
The NNPC had last week announced that it achieved 1.8 million barrels per day of crude oil production in November—a figure that has been widely disputed.
The claim was not supported by any data, as no official figures have been released to cover the period in question.
Meanwhile, newly released data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission showed that Nigeria’s total crude oil production stands at 1.53 million bpd. This has further cast doubt on the accuracy of NNPC Ltd.’s claim, with many questioning whether the figures will align once official data is released.
Notably, Nigeria has yet to meet its OPEC production quota of 1.5 million bpd, owing to challenges such as oil theft, pipeline vandalism, low investment in the sector, and other systemic issues hindering higher output.
If NNPC Ltd.’s claim proves accurate, it could signal prospects for economic growth, improved naira stability, and increased foreign exchange earnings for the country.
