Blending is necessary to bring products to the specification ? Mele Kyari defends PH refinery operations

Mele Kyari, group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, has defended the blending of petroleum products at the recently operational Port Harcourt refinery, stating that the practice is not a crime but an essential part of refining. Kyari made this statement on Wednesday, November 4, during the commissioning of the NUPENG Towers in Lagos.

The Port Harcourt refinery resumed crude oil processing on November 26 after being inactive for several years. The state-owned plant has also commenced loading petroleum products for distribution by trucks, producing straight-run petrol (naphtha), which is blended into 1.4 million litres of petrol daily.

Responding to criticisms from some Nigerians who questioned the blending process, Kyari emphasized its importance in meeting product specifications. “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 extended an invitation to skeptics, including human rights activist and lawyer Femi Falana, to visit the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries to assess their operational statuses.

The NNPC chief also used the occasion to congratulate NUPENG on completing the NUPENG Towers and encouraged the union to continue fostering dialogue and cooperation with the NNPC and the federal government.

Kyari noted that the president’s interventions in the oil and gas industry through executive orders are yielding tangible results, attracting more investments and creating new job opportunities in the sector.