Page 14 - DMEA Week 06 2022

DMEA NEWS IN BRIEF DMEA

NNPC group managing director Mele
Kyari told the Nation that the PMS was
imported by four companies – MRS, Emadeb/
Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium,
Oando, and Duke Oil.
He said the petrol came from Antwerp,
with quality inspectors failing to detect the
high level of methanol in it, which is not
acceptable in Nigeria.
Nigeria had for more than two decades
imported petroleum products – though it is
a major crude oil producer – because its four
account that people that have control over is facing fuel shortages after deliveries of refineries had broken down.
will manage and use it to build the modular gasoline containing too much methanol. TEA
refinery. The military said operations carried out
“Everything is going to be done according in the past two weeks recovered 2.53 million Nigerian truck drivers’
to the law, and whoever embezzles anybody’s litres of illegally refined petrol and 2.81
money will face the law of the regulatory million litres of stolen crude oil. It destroyed union threatens nationwide
agencies and the Economic and Financial 127 metal storage tanks and nine tankers
Crime Commission as well as ensure that among other equipment. strike
those who commit economic crime are sent Local authorities have begun a crackdown
to jail.” to try put a stop to illegal refining of stolen The head of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers
While thanking President Buhari for crude, which officials say is worsening air (PTD) labour union in Nigeria has threatened
approving their recommendation for the pollution in the Delta and causing respiratory to call a national strike unless the federal
establishment of three modular refineries in problems for some residents. government commits to the rehabilitation of
each of the Niger Delta states, he urged him to The military in the West African country, 21 critical roadways.
speed up the process of granting them licences also the continent’s biggest energy producer, PTD Chairman Salmon Oladiti told
to begin operations. said in a statement that 50 galvanized pipes reporters on the evening of February 9 that
He said: “It is our recommendation also were illegally connected to pipelines and it the union was taking this step to protect the
that you speed up the process and also kindly arrested 12 people for damaging pipelines. interests of its own members. The drivers of
consider and establish a Presidential Artisanal High unemployment in the Niger Delta fuel tanker trucks face too many risks because
Crude Oil Refinery Development Initiative has made illegal crude refining an attractive of the poor state of Nigeria’s road network, he
(PACORDI) for artisanal crude oil refiners business. It involves tapping of crude from a said.
in the Niger Delta similar to the presidential maze of pipelines owned by oil majors and “We’re tired of accidents, being stranded
artisanal gold mining developments initiative burning it at high temperature in makeshift on the roads for weeks, risk of attacks by
(PAGMI) in the North and western Nigeria. tanks. kidnappers, bandits and terrorists,” he
“We look forward to having you issue The hazardous process adds another layer declared.
modular refinery licences to these cooperative of pollution in a region that has endured Oladiti also called on federal authorities
societies so that they do not cite government oil spills and ruined farmlands, creeks and to take action on the agreement that PTD
as unserious, and return to the creeks to cause lagoons for decades. struck with state-owned Nigerian National
more damage to oil facilities and our fragile Last week, an oil vessel storing up to 60,000 Petroleum Corp. (NNPC) last year, saying that
environment.” barrels of crude exploded offshore in Nigeria, the union had been kept waiting for too long.
The state coordinator of the cooperative spilling more oil. “These criminals have taken over some of
societies, Philips Godfrey, said he hoped the REUTERS these roads. We’ve been on this matter of bad
licence would be released to the cooperatives roads for more than three years and last year,
since they are now duly registered by the we reached an agreement with the NNPC,
federal government. FUELS which promised to rehabilitate these critical
THIS DAY roads and earmarked NGN621bn [$1.49bn]
for it,” he commented. “Some of these
Nigerian military recovers Adulterated petrol blamed roads are less than 25km in length. Tanker
for shortage, damage
crashes were almost a daily occurrence.
stolen crude oil, destroys Adulterated imported petrol in Nigeria has Security challenge on these roads can’t be
overemphasized.”
illegal refining sites been blamed for the scarcity of the product organisation known as Nigerian Union
PTD is a member of the umbrella labour
and long queues at filling stations in the past
Nigeria’s military said on Thursday it has two weeks. of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers
recovered millions of litres of stolen crude oil The Nigerian National Petroleum (NUPENG). It has been called upon to
and illegally refined petrol after destroying 45 Company (NNPC) finally opened up on help alleviate the shortages that have arisen
illegal refining sites in the Niger Delta. the issue on Wednesday night in Abuja, recently following the importation of
The crude oil thefts and illegal refining confirming that more than 300 million litres contaminated gasoline.
have caused a major headache for the oil of adulterated premium motor spirit (PMS) NEWSBASE
sector in Africa’s biggest economy, which was imported from Belgium undetected.

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