”NNPCL Refineries Not Producing Enough Petrol” – DAPPMAN

DAPPMAN’s Executive Secretary, Olufemi Adewole, confirmed this in a chat with our correspondent on Sunday. According to him, DAPPMAN members are ready to lift petroleum products from the Dangote refinery as the only viable petrol-producing facility in the country.

Consequently, he stressed that the marketers will only resort to importation if they cannot get the product locally. He highlighted that the Dangote refinery was not ready to sell premium motor spirit to its members who wanted to buy in bulk.

Adewole clarified that his members will not go to the Port Harcourt or Warri refineries for petrol because the facilities are producing naphtha, not optimally producing the much-needed petrol.

“The NNPC refineries, both the revamped Port Harcourt and Warri, are not yet optimally producing PMS; they are producing naphtha.

Our members will not go to them for now.

“But where we can get the product is Dangote refinery and we are willing to work with Dangote refinery, we are willing to buy from Dangote refinery, but if we don’t get the product from Dangote refinery, the PIA allows us to import which is what we’ll go for,” Adewole said.

He maintained that the in-country production of PMS should be ramped up to give marketers more sources of getting the product.

He clarified that it was not the primary will of the depot owners to import, saying they would rather buy locally and sell to Nigerians, but the opportunities are limited.

“In-country production should be ramped up because we need to have more sources of getting the product. It is not the primary will of the depot owners to import; we would rather buy locally and sell to Nigerians, but the opportunities are limited,” he stated.

However, he argued that the Dangote refinery prefers a selective approach that chooses a few marketers and deals with them, stressing that it prefers the gantry supply.

As depot owners, Adewole said the association loves to buy in bulk, up to 25 metric tonnes. He stressed that if the portal is open and members are allowed to load their vessels, it will be easier for them to patronise the Dangote refinery.

“Dangote refinery, in this context, prefers a selective approach that chooses a few marketers and deals through them, and it prefers the gantry supply. But we are depot owners. We pick in bulk. We are picking 15 – 25 metric tonnes. So, if the portal is open and we are allowed to load our vessels, then it’s a lot easier for us,” he posited.

Adewole noted that his members have depots all over Nigeria, and they are ready to pick PMS and diesel from the Dangote refinery, expressing doubts about whether or not the refinery is ready to sell to them.