Mele Kyari, group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, says it is not a crime to blend petroleum products at the old Port Harcourt refinery.
Kyari, who spoke at the commissioning of the NUPENG Towers in Lagos on Wednesday, said the refinery is up and running, with loading operations in full swing.
On November 26, the refinery commenced crude oil processing after several years of being moribund.
The state-owned plant also commenced the loading of petroleum products for trucks.
The national oil firm disclosed that the refinery commenced production of daily outputs of straight-run petrol (naphtha), which is blended into 1.4 million litres of petrol.
Some Nigerians have questioned the ongoing blending at the refinery when the plant ought to be refining crude,
Speaking on the issue, Kyari said blending is not a crime as it is an integral part of the refining process.
“If you don’t blend, you will bring out off-spec products which will destroy your vehicles,” he said.
“Every refinery blends because what is on specification in the United States of America will be off-spec in Nigeria and elsewhere.
“Blending is necessary to bring products to the specification of different countries or regions.”
Kyari also invited those in doubt about the operationalisation of the refinery, including Femi Falana, human rights activist and lawyer, to join him on a tour of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries to verify their various statuses.
He congratulated NUPENG on the successful completion of the NUPENG Towers, urging the union to continue to prioritise dialogue and cooperation in its relationship with the NNPC and the federal government.
The GCEO said the president’s interventions in the oil and gas industry by way of executive orders are yielding positive results, with more investments coming in and prospects of more jobs in the industry.