Reasons have emerged as to why Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, and its environs have no petrol scarcity whatsoever.
The tanks in the state have over 52.3 million metric tons of products (mmt) to last for 26 days at 2 million litres per day consumption despite the isolation of 37.8mmt stored in about six tanks with adulterated products.
A statement from the Nigerian Upstream Products Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) Wednesday, said two vessels (MT Virgo1) and MT Matrix Pride brought products that were cleared after tests from two testing agencies. The products were brought in between January 25 and 31, 2022 by Masters Energy Oil & Gas Limited and Avidor Oil and Gas Limited.
The statement signed by one G.C Ineh from the zonal office of NUPRC said complaints later came from the stations about the quality of the products.
NUPRC said it took fresh samples to their own laboratory where it was confirmed that the products, especially research octane number (RON) ethanol were all unfit because specific gravity parameters fell outside approved specifications.
Read also: Dirty petrol arrived Nigeria January, slipped NNPC’s tests
At that point, the statement said NUPRC took the steps including shut down of the two depots that stored the adulterated products and also stopped further lifting of products from them.
The statement also said tracking of products that had already left the depots are being tracked while further investigations are ongoing.
The statement said Master Energy has raised a protest letter to the mother vessel named as MT Elka Opollon.
The incident where composite samples pass tests but the products end up being fake products may have exposed an ugly trend in the downstream sector of the petroleum sector.
The presidency has launched probes and queries into the importation and distribution of adulterated products into Nigeria, an incident that has led to scarcity and long queues in Lagos, Abuja and some other state capitals.
