DPR to destroy 1.5 million litres of contaminated fuel

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has concluded plans to destroy 1.5 million contaminated off-specification (Off-Spec) petroleum products discharged by a vessel – MT JAZI at the Nakem Jetty depot, Kirikiri, which was discovered few days ago.

The Director, DPR, Mordecai Ladan, who made this disclosure in Lagos on Monday, at a media briefing, said that the vessel has been ceased and will be subsequently destroyed.

Petroleum products adulteration has negative impact on the environment and may hinder the effective performance of car engines and sometimes completely damages the engine.

According to Ladan, who was represented by the Zonal Operations Controller, DPR, Lagos, Wole Akinyosoye, investigations after the discovery on the February 11, 2017, revealed that the vessel discharged at Nakem Jetty depot, which is the owner of the product had no DPR authorisation, and importation licence.

He said samples of the product from the MT JAZI at the said depot after laboratory analysis confirmed the product is off spec.

“Having failed on all the basic parameters especially in colour, specific gravity and flash point showed the product being docked at Nakem does not meet the standard of specification of any white product,” he added.

He said the depot has been sealed by DPR since February 12, 2017, and the vessel, MT JAZI is under naval custody.

Ladan noted that no record of any product importation by Nakem as well as record of any through putt of that facility with a third party for product storage at that time.

He said there have been intensified efforts to ensure that no adulterated product from Niger Delta comes into any of their depots.

“We would not tolerate landing of untraceable products without the import permit, port of origin and manufacture source into our depots. “Our actions are to forestall all the flow of adulterated product into the retail outlets.

“Most of these depot activities are also naval activities and we do not have the experience of arresting vessels so we have scheduled to feed the Navy with vessels supposed to route along their water,” he added.