NNPC dismisses explosion reports at Port Harcourt refinery

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has denied reports of an explosion at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) in Rivers State, stating that the incident was a flare event that has been fully contained.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Olufemi Soneye, NNPC’s chief corporate communications officer, assured that there was no risk to staff, nearby communities, or the environment.

“The media and the public are urged to disregard any reports suggesting an explosion at the refinery, as they are entirely false,” the statement read.

The statement was issued just hours after two explosions occurred at the Pipeline Manifold and Trans-Niger Pipeline in the Omwawriwa area of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government and Bodo-Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.

It follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing ongoing insecurity and unresolved crises in the region.

Faith Esifiho

Faith Esifiho is an Energy correspondent at BusinessDay, covering Nigeria's electricity sector, oil and gas industry, and energy policy. She reports on power outages, electricity tariffs, gas sector reforms, and the broader challenges facing the country's energy transition. She specializes in data-led reporting and human-angle stories that examine how energy policies affect everyday Nigerians and also tracks trends in the power sector, analyses regulatory changes, and investigates the impact of subsidy reforms and pricing policies.