Page 12 - DMEA Week 38 2022

DMEA REFINING & FUELS DMEA

The company has apologised for selling water-laced fuel (Photo: Vivo Energy)

Vivo Energy Ghana sued for negligence

over sales of contaminated gasoline

AFRICA THE Ghanaian subsidiary of British a down- owes a duty of care to the public to ensure that
stream petroleum company, Vivo Energy, has fuel products sold at its filling stations meet the
been sued for negligence after a filling station required standards, adding that this duty of care
sold gasoline mixed with water to some drivers, was breached “for selfish and unholy financial
Citi News reports. gain,” Citi News reports.
Vivo Energy distributes and markets Shell- In his lawsuit, Barwuah said that the fuel sta-
and Engen-branded fuels and lubricants to retail tion continued selling contaminated products to
and commercial customers in Africa. unsuspecting customers despite being directly
The plaintiff, Edward Barwuah, claims to informed of the contamination of its product,
have been sold water-laced petrol at a Shell sta- adding that this amounted to reckless disregard
tion near the Adomi Bridge at Atimpoku in the for lives and property “in favour of selfish finan-
Eastern Region. He is demanding $2.5mn from cial gain and unjust enrichment.”
Vivo Energy Ghana, arguing that damage to his Vivo Energy has apologised for the contami-
car from the incident caused him to lose a busi- nation, which led to a number of customers’ cars
ness opportunity. having engine problems, explaining that water
Barwuah also wants his car, a 2017 Ford got into the underground super tank of the sta-
Explorer, replaced with a comparable vehicle tion after heavy rain in the area.
as well as GHS 600 ($59.4) per day in damages Meanwhile, the National Petroleum Author-
since August 28, when the alleged incident ity (NPA) has already shut down the Shell filling
occured. station where the incident happened so that
He further argues that Vivo Energy Ghana investigations to commence. ™

TotalEnergies seen committing to

Mozambique LNG restart by March

AFRICA MAX Tonela, the finance minister of Mozam- the end of the first quarter of 2023.
bique, said on September 16 that he expected In an interview with Bloomberg, Tonela
TotalEnergies (France) to commit to resuming described himself as “very optimistic” on this
work on a major natural gas and LNG project by front.

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 38 22•September•2022