Yemisi Izuora
The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR has allayed fears that adulterated Automotive Gas Oil, (AGO) known as diesel is circulating in Nigeria.
The regulator reacting to an online publication quoting a report by the Swiss, watchdog group, ‘Public Eye’ that Swiss companies have imported “dirty diesel” with more than 100 per cent Sulphur content into Nigeria and some other African Countries due to weak regulatory standards, cannot be established.
In a statement in Lagos, the agency described the report as erroneous and misleading in its entirety.
It explained that there is an established petroleum products traceability protocol for receipt of imported petroleum products cargoes that ensures all products can be traced to a refinery of origin thereby eliminating products from unknown sources.
It also said that Nigeria’s product specifications are of international standards and sometimes exceeds some of these standards, adding that all petroleum products (Automotive Gas Oil inclusive) are properly analyzed at registered third party laboratories to ensure accurate and unbiased results before any vessel is cleared to discharge at our depots.
“All products receiving depots are statutorily required to have in-house laboratory for conducting tests of key product quality parameters such as flash point, Density, Octane rating, Sulphur content, water content, etc
“Products samples are taken daily from active tanks and analyzed to make sure they meet specification before truck out is allowed.
Samples are also taken and analyzed from trucks conveying products from coastal depots to inland depots to ensure that product quality is not compromised during transit before trucks are dispatched to retail outlets
All the above tests at various stages of petroleum products distribution and supply chain are witnessed by assigned DPR staff as part of our regulatory oversight function” the statement stated and thus making it difficult to bring and circulate off-specification petroleum products in Nigeria.
While it disregarded the report it reassured the public that the operations of DPR are guided by strict adherence to international regulatory standards in alignment with its mission statement of ensuring sustainable development of Nigeria’s oil and gas resources, protection of our people’s Health and Safety through effective regulation.