Barring any last-minute change in plans, marketers and retailers of petroleum products will start lifting Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) from the Port Harcourt Refining Company this week.

The Publicity Secretary of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, Joseph Obele, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with our correspondent.

According to Obele, since the refinery commenced operations in November, it has been supplying fuel to retail outlets owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited only.

Though marketers still load fuel from the NNPCL, Obele clarified that the products marketers currently buy from the state-owned oil company were imported.

He expressed concerns that the NNPCL was selling PMS to retailers in Port Harcourt at prices higher than that of Lagos State, pleading that the refinery should sell at N899 per litre instead of N970.

“NNPC is still telling us to buy at a rate different from the rate they are selling to Lagos at the moment because of logistics. So, Port Harcourt retail outlet owners are not really comfortable with that. Hence, the Port Harcourt refinery will start servicing us this week.

“We are also requesting that the same rate NNPC is selling to our members at Lagos should be the rate they will be selling to us over here in Port Harcourt too. We are not really comfortable with that disparity,” he disclosed.

Asked whether or not marketers in Port Harcourt and environs have started buying directly from the NNPC refinery, he replied, “No, but it will commence this week. The trucks loading out are for the NNPC retail outlets only.”

In his request to the NNPC, Obele stated, “We in Port Harcourt, we plead with the NNPC to sell to us at the same rate they are selling fuel to Lagos marketers. The difference is too much. It is N899 per litre in Lagos but N970 in Port Harcourt. It is far higher than that of Lagos.

“The way they explain it, it is like their own vessel will be bringing it and shipping it over to Port Harcourt depot for us to buy. So, we are now saying that since you will be selling directly to us from the refinery, you now have the stock available. Sell to us at the same rate you are selling to Lagos marketers.

“So, that’s where we are right now. Our request is that the NNPC should sell to us from the Port Harcourt refinery at the same rate they are selling the product to those in Lagos.”

Asked if he meant the NNPC was still importing fuel to Lagos, the PETROAN spokesman replied in the affirmative, saying “The stocks in Lagos are imported stocks.”

After several postponements, the NNPC announced in November that the old 60,000 barrels per day Port Harcourt refinery had resumed operations.

The NNPC promised that rehabilitation works at the new Port Harcourt refinery with 150,000 barrels per day capacity would soon be completed.

NNPC spokesman, Olufemi Soneye, confirmed that the refinery currently produces naptha which it blends to produce petrol.