National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has temporarily shut down its operations, with only the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) remaining functional, sources within the refinery disclosed on Saturday.
The CDU, which processes crude oil into naphtha, kerosene, and diesel, is unable to produce the key component required for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol. This revelation contradicts recent claims by the NNPCL that the refinery was fully operational and distributing PMS to the public.
SaharaReporters, which has been tracking developments at the refinery since Tuesday, previously reported that only the older section of the facility was active. The report highlighted that the refinery was blending “Crack C5 with Naphtha” and distributing it as PMS, a practice some staff warned could potentially harm vehicles.
These new findings further cast doubt on the refinery’s ability to contribute to addressing Nigeria’s fuel supply challenges effectively.
