The shutdown happened on Thursday, December 19, 2024, and stopped the distribution of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which is usually called petrol. Sources confirmed that tanker operations had completely stopped. There were 18 trucks parked on the road near the refinery and an additional nine trucks idle within the parking yard. The once-busy loading bay was notably deserted, with minimal human or vehicular movement observed.
The rehabilitation project, initiated in March 2021, aimed to restore the refinery’s functionality after years of dormancy. On November 26, 2024, the refinery, which can process 60,000 barrels of oil each day, was officially inaugurated by Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Reports indicate that this isn’t the first time the refinery has had problems working since its reopening. In November 2024, the refinery shut down briefly, and only the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) was in operation. While the CDU can produce products like naphtha, kerosene, and diesel, it cannot produce PMS
