Asharami Synergy Ltd Kenya, a subsidiary of a Nigerian oil conglomerate with a presence across Africa, has denied media reports that it attempted to source sub-standard fuel into the eastern country.
Asharami Synergy said media report published in the online edition of Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper of April 14, 2020, under the headline: “Kenya turns away ship with 75m litres of low-quality fuel” was inaccurate.
“The said report leaned on documents and information provided by unnamed sources to arrive at a misleading conclusion regarding the specification of the gasoline (particularly the Final Boiling Point parameter) supplied by Asharami Synergy Limited, Kenya,” the energy company said.
Asharami Synergy explained that the product on PMS K07/2020 MT Ocean Tiara (“the Cargo”) was sourced from the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (“Saudi Aramco”), one of the world’s foremost oil and Gas Trading companies with an acclaimed reputation for quality and global standards, thus lending credence to Asharami Synergy’s unwavering commitment to impeccable standards in all aspects of its operations.
“We note that the product is on-specification for all parameters right from the loading port where the test by Bureau Veritas recorded a Final Boiling Point (FBP) of 199 degrees Celsius,” said Asharami Synergy Ltd Kenya.
Furthermore, Asharami Synergy said reputable surveyors in Kenya have also confirmed that the Cargo is on-specification for all parameters.
“These include tests by Intertek Group PLC, one of the world’s leading Total Quality Assurance Companies, (returning FBP of 200 degrees Celsius) and the Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited (KPRL), returning FBP parameter of 199 degree Celsius,” it said.
Asharami Synergy affirmed that the product supplied was on specification and stated that for the record, key points to correct a series of errors reported in the Daily Nation newspaper in Kenya.
First, Asharami Synergy said the tests upon which the decision on the specification of the cargo was made were carried out in facilities without any certificate of international calibration – meaning equipment did not show any evidence of barometric pressure compensation and did not have any calibration schedule.
Also, it said the facilities did not have the required certification to perform the stated test for gasoline, requiring calibration deductions to be applied to any final result attained.
As a result, Asharami Synergy said a correlation was made between automotive gas oil and mogas, which does not meet international standards as each product exhibits completely different properties.
“The above places the results at variance with international best practice and consequently, the outcome was not endorsed by Asharami Synergy and Saudi Aramco representatives,” said the energy company.
Asharami Synergy also stated it wasn’t given the opportunity to set the records straight and urged all its stakeholders across the globe to disregard the misleading report.
In a bid to ensure the process is seamlessly concluded, Asharami Synergy has requested a re-test in an independent ISO certified facility that is accredited for gasoline testing as this should provide an outcome that will be acceptable to all parties.
Asharami Synergy, working with the support of its suppliers, Saudi Aramco, intends to do everything within its rights to substantiate its position and establish that the Cargo is on specification, and that Asharami Synergy has been wrongfully sanctioned by the rejection of the Cargo and any subsequent punitive action that may arise from the said rejection.
Asharami Synergy Limited has imported 7 PMS cargos, 3 co-loaded cargos of both AGO and PMS, and 1 AGO cargo delivering the products within the Kenya Specification in line with the company’s commitment to safety, professionalism and service excellence.
The company said it remains committed to contributing to the growth and development of Kenya’s economy through the provision of top-quality petroleum products with a distinctive mark of safety and reliability.
As an affiliate of Sahara Group, an international energy conglomerate with a footprint across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, Asharami Synergy Limited Kenya operates within an impeccable track record of over 20 years of globally acclaimed best practice that has qualified Sahara Group as a member of the World Economic Forum Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI).
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