Port Harcourt Refinery Remains Shut Two Months After Scheduled Maintenance Amid NNPCL Silence and Corruption Probe

Operations at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) have been suspended for over two months, far beyond the initially announced 30-day routine maintenance period.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which oversees the facility, has remained silent on the reasons for the prolonged shutdown, sparking concern and frustration across the energy sector.

The refinery was declared partially operational in November 2024 by then-NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer Mele Kyari, after years of dormancy.

It was said to be operating at 70% of its 60,000-barrel-per-day capacity, producing diesel, kerosene, pour fuel oil, and premium motor spirit (PMS).

In May 2025, NNPCL announced a temporary shutdown for routine maintenance, promising that operations would resume within 30 days. However, over a month past the deadline, the facility remains idle, and no official update has been provided.

Petroleum marketers in the Eleme and Okrika areas, where the refinery is located, confirmed that repairs are still underway.

They expressed fears that the continued closure could lead to fuel shortages and price hikes, especially amid Nigeria’s ongoing energy crisis.

The shutdown comes at a time when the $1.5 billion allocated for the refinery’s turnaround maintenance is under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC is probing multiple former executives of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries for allegedly mismanaging nearly $3 billion in public funds.

According to reports, one of the dismissed managing directors had ₦80 billion traced to their personal account. The probe has also implicated former NNPCL CEO Mele Kyari and 13 other former high-ranking officials.