Internal information obtained by SecretsReporters has raised fresh concerns over the events that led to the shutdown of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries in 2025, a move allegedly directed by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC Ltd, Bayo Ojulari.
The directive was reportedly issued despite indications from officials within the refinery management structure that production operations were still ongoing at the facilities at the time.
Email exchanges reviewed by this newspaper suggest that the decision came unexpectedly to senior officials of both refineries, including their Managing Directors.
Sources familiar with the matter told SecretsReporters that the facilities were not scheduled for routine maintenance when the shutdown order was communicated. Internal correspondence seen by this newspaper indicates that the refinery heads were contacted on the morning the directive was passed and reportedly raised concerns over the decision.
The email trail, in which Ojulari’s office was copied, appears to show that refinery management made efforts to formally document that the instruction to stop operations came from the top hierarchy of NNPC Ltd.
According to the records reviewed, production activities had not stopped before the shutdown directive was issued on the day in question.
The development has triggered further questions within the petroleum sector, especially considering the huge public investment committed over the years to the rehabilitation of the refineries. The projects were expected to help restore Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity and reduce the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products.
Industry stakeholders who spoke on the matter noted that where a refinery is still producing at the point of shutdown, relevant questions must be asked about the technical grounds for the decision, the operational condition of the facilities, and whether other options were considered before production was suspended.
Questions Over Chinese Companies Linked To The Process
The matter became more controversial following the reported involvement of two Chinese firms in refinery-related operations after the shutdown.
Investigations by SecretsReporters show that one of the companies, Sanjiang Chemical Company Limited, is recognised as a Chinese petrochemical company. However, industry experts consulted during this investigation questioned whether the firm has the kind of experience and operational history usually associated with the full management, rehabilitation, or turnaround of major national refineries.
A review of publicly available information by SecretsReporters indicates that Sanjiang Chemical Company Limited is more commonly associated with petrochemical production than crude oil refining operations.
The second firm, identified in documents as Xinganchen (Fuzhou) Industrial Park Operation and Management Co. Ltd., was more difficult to trace.
Searches conducted across publicly accessible corporate, industrial and project records produced limited information on the company’s experience in refinery rehabilitation, turnaround maintenance, or large-scale refinery operations.
The limited availability of verifiable public records has raised further questions among industry analysts about the due diligence process that led to the selection of the firms and the standards applied in determining their suitability.
Experts Demand Greater Transparency
Energy sector experts who reviewed portions of the documents told SecretsReporters that decisions affecting strategic national assets such as refineries should be backed by clear technical justification, transparent procurement procedures and full disclosure to the Nigerian public.
They stated that where billions of dollars have already been spent on refinery rehabilitation, any later decision to suspend operations should be properly explained, with details on the operational challenges involved, the maintenance requirements, projected timelines and expected outcomes.
The experts also noted that transparency becomes even more important where foreign firms are brought into the management, rehabilitation, maintenance or operational framework of such critical national facilities.
