By Abiola Olawale
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is currently facing a a tough time to ensure oil marketers in the country patronise the newly rehabilitated Port Harcourt refinery located in Alesa Eleme, southeast of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
This is as oil marketers insist that the prices of petroleum products from the Port Harcourt refinery should be lower than those from the Dangote Refinery.
The marketers said this is part of the conditions that will make them patronise the newly rehabilitated Port Harcourt Refinery.
It would be recalled that following the commencement of production at the Port Harcourt refinery, there has been speculation that the NNPCL is selling fuel produced by the refinery at a higher price than that produced by the Dangote Refinery located in Lagos.
The speculation came to the fore after a statement attributed to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Joseph Obele, went viral.
Obele was quoted as saying that the Port-Harcourt refinery is presently selling its fuel at a price of N1045 per litre.
Speaking on the development, the National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Chinedu Ukadike, said that although NNPC had yet to release any price for the products from the refurbished Port Harcourt refinery, a high price would discourage marketers.
Ukadike noted that the last price the NNPCL made available for petrol stood at N1,040 or N1,045.
He said he expects that the NNPCL will review the price given that Dangote Refinery recently adjusted its price and that oil prices have been crashing globally.
He stated: “With the Port Harcourt refinery now working, we are anticipating that any moment from now, NNPC will give us its price. Once NNPC releases its price, we will start loading from NNPC. That is subject to if it is cheaper than that of Dangote.
“The last NNPC price was N1,040 and N1,045 per litre. But I know there will be a review of prices because there has been a crash in prices globally. So, we are expecting a review. Once that review is done, I will be able to give you the actual price. I know they are reviewing it. They are on top of the matter.”
Meanwhile, the NNPCL, in reaction to speculations that emerged on Wednesday that its petrol price was about N1,045/litre, stated that the refinery had yet to release its prices, as products from the plant were currently being dispensed to only NNPCL stations.
The oil firm’s spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, said the company was still reviewing its prices and was yet to commence bulk sales, as its purchasing portal remained closed.
