The Port Harcourt Refinery is operational, according to confirmation from PENGASSAN, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria.
Last week, there were rumors that the refinery had closed down a few days after its widely reported start of production.
However, a number of oil specialists have come out to discuss the refinery’s current state.
Similarly, PENGASSAN President Comrade Festus Osifo stated in an interview on Arise TV Monday night that the refinery has started operating fully.
However, Osifo provided some restrictions on the manufacturing procedures.
Since no refinery can produce with a single Crude Distillation Unit (CDU), he was also keen to say that the blending procedure was standard worldwide.
In actuality, it is that unit that will introduce various things. As of right now, that unit is operating.
“You will receive what we call kerosene (DPK), what we call aviation fuel (ATK), and diesel (DPO) when you feed the crude into CDU.
Additionally, it will give you naphtha. That distillation unit is that. That device is operational.
This implies that these products will be produced when crude is fed into that unit, although the old Port Harcourt refinery was not built to make aviation fuel.
The Naphtha, AGO, and DPK are the three main products that you will have. You will typically transmit it to this unit, known as the Reformat Unit, Naphtha.
“That reformat unit isn’t really functioning as of right now. We have to tell Nigerians about this.
What’s happening right now is that you’re going to combine Crack-C5 with that naphtha. After blending it with naphtha and going through a few more steps, it now gives us PMS.
Today, Nigerians should be curious about whether AGO is being produced in the Port Harcourt refinery. Yes, is the response. Is kerosene being produced at the former Port Harcourt refinery? Yes, is the response. Is it producing PMS today? The answer is yes.
“We should focus more on the final products rather than the processes themselves.”
“No refinery in the world has a CDU that produces PMS in a single tranche,” he asserted further. Not even Dangote Refinery creates PMS.
Their CDU does more than just cause PMS. However, a product that is similar to PMS is released. What we refer to as the Octane number in PMS is a very high standard and specification.
“It must be produced in accordance with specifications or it will harm cars.” Blending is the term used to describe the process of treating the Naphtha with the Crack-C4 from Indorama.
“But honestly, these products are all present and coming out, and the refinery is operating.”