By Godfrey AKON
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, Limited has said the methanol-tainted fuel, which triggered scarcity in some parts of the country, was shipped into Nigeria by MRS, Oando, Duke Oil and Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U consortium, from Antwerp-Belgium.
Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, in a statement signed by NNPC’s Spokesman, Mr Garba Deen Muhammad, said the company received a report from its quality inspector on January 20, 2022, indicating the presence of emulsion particles in PMS cargoes shipped to Nigeria from Antwerp-Belgium.
According to Kyari, NNPC investigation revealed the presence of Methanol in four PMS cargoes imported by four Direct-Sale-Direct-Purchase, DSDP, suppliers including MRS with the vessel name “MT Bow Pioneer,” which loaded at LITASCO Terminal, Antwerp-Belgium.
Others are Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium with vessel name “MT Tom Hilde” which loaded at LITASCO Terminal, Antwerp-Belgium, Oando MT Elka Apollon” which loaded at LITASCO Terminal, Antwerp-Belgium; and Duke Oil with vessel name “MT Nord Gainer” which loaded at LITASCO Terminal, Antwerp-Belgium.
He noted that cargoes quality certificates issued at Loadport, Antwerp-Belgium, by AmSpec Belgium indicated that the gasoline complied with Nigerian Specification.
“The NNPC quality inspectors including GMO, SGS, GeoChem and G&G conducted tests before discharge also showed that the gasoline met Nigerian specification,’’ he said.
Kyari further noted that as a standard practice for all PMS import to Nigeria, the said cargoes were equally certified by inspection agent appointed by the NMDRA.
“It is important to note that the usual quality inspection protocol employed in both the load port in Belgium and our discharge ports in Nigeria do not include the test for Percent methanol content and therefore the additive was not detected by our quality inspectors,’’ he added.
He, however, stated that in order to prevent the distribution of the petrol, the NNPC CEO said the company promptly ordered the quarantine of all un-evacuated volumes and the holding back of all the affected products in transit, both truck & marine.
Kyari, who spoke at the end of a meeting with some oil marketers to resolve the issues generated by the recent supply and discharge of methanol blended petrol in some Nigerian depots, reassured Nigerians of its capacity to restore sanity in the supply and distribution of quality Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol across the country within a short period.
The NNPC boss disclosed that defaulting suppliers have been put on notice for remedial actions and NNPC is working with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority, NMDRA, to take necessary actions in line with subsisting regulations.
