Despite being officially shut down for maintenance more than seven months ago, the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) has continued to supply fuel marketers with an average of 15 truckloads of diesel each day.
As of 30 December 2025, figures from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) indicate that more than 3,150 trucks, roughly 349,000 litres per day, have been lifted from the refinery since production was halted on 24 May 2025.
Key Developments
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Large Reserve Capacity: The sustained distribution is attributed to a substantial diesel reserve produced during the refinery’s short six-month operational period between November 2024 and May 2025.
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Total Volume Supplied: Around 110 million litres of diesel have been released into the market during the shutdown.
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Risk of Stock Exhaustion: Marketers caution that, at the present evacuation rate, the remaining stock could be depleted by February 2026.
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Output Composition: During its brief operation, the plant produced significantly higher volumes of diesel and low-pour fuel oil than petrol (PMS).
Status of Nigeria’s Public Refineries (December 2025)
Debate over the future of the country’s state-owned refineries remains intense, with PETROAN advocating full privatisation by the first quarter of 2026 to break the recurring cycle of expensive maintenance shutdowns.
| Refinery | Current Status | Last Known Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Port Harcourt (Old) | Shut down | Maintenance commenced on 24 May 2025 and was initially scheduled for 30 days. |
| Port Harcourt (New) | Under construction | Expected to become operational by mid-2026 following delays in the overhaul programme. |
| Warri | Shut down | Brief restart in December 2024 before closure in January 2025 due to “critical safety concerns.” |
| Kaduna | Inactive | Still undergoing extensive rehabilitation, with no recorded output in 2025. |
Leadership Review and Economic Outlook
The new Group Chief Executive of NNPC, Bayo Ojulari, recently revealed that the Port Harcourt refinery had been incurring monthly losses estimated between $300 million and $500 million prior to the latest maintenance halt. He noted that fewer than 40 per cent of the crude fed into the facility was being effectively processed, prompting the decision to pause operations and reassess the plant’s long-term viability.
Although NNPC has ruled out a full sale of the assets, the government is said to be considering “advanced technical partnerships” aimed at transforming the refineries into sustainable, revenue-generating operations rather than ongoing financial liabilities.
