After one week of inactivity, the Port Harcourt Refining Company has resumed the trucking out of Premium Motor Spirit otherwise called petrol.
Recall that the refinery abruptly stopped the loading of petrol a fortnight ago as no reason was initially offered for the development which left many marketers stranded.
Our reporter, who visited the Port Harcourt Refinery Depot reports last Thursday, reported that the place was a shadow of itself as the loading bay was empty without any activity from the preceding week.
The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Olufemi Soneye, had in a statement said preparations for loading operation were ongoing.
But after Saturday PUNCH’s, it was gathered on Monday that the lifting of petrol commenced with 11 trucks loading PMS from the depot.
Also our reporter who visited the facility on Monday observed that activities had yet to fully commence, as there was no human nor vehicular activities until 1 pm when things started picking up.
By 1:14 pm trucks were seen driving into the 18-arm loading bay and by 2 pm seven trucks drove in and started loading, as two trucks immediately lifted petrol while a fire service truck was stationed at the loading bay in the event of any fire outbreak.
The first truck started lifting petrol at exactly 1:18 pm, while two trucked out petrol by 2 pm on Monday. A total of 10 trucks lifted petrol as at 4:30 pm, which indicated that more trucks might load before 6 pm.
While the trucks at the loading bay were lifting PMS, seven other cleared trucks were waiting to load at the Onyema gate adjacent the loading bay when our reporter left the depot on Monday evening.
Meanwhile, some marketers seen at the depot of the old Port Harcourt Refining Company built in 1963, decried the frequent shutting down of loading operations without any explanation.
They also expressed dismay that of the 18 arms in the loading bay, only three were functional while the others had yet to be caliberated.
One of them who gave his name as Liti, said, “We are not happy over what is happening here. If operation is going on fully here you will see this place will be full of trucks and they can load up to 50 trucks before 6 pm.
“So let the government come and help us and make sure the refinery is working well.”
It was also gathered that not all the arms in the loading bay were supplying petrol, some were meant to truck out kerosene and diesel. The refinery has yet to commence production of kerosene and diesel.
