The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, has revealed how ‘adulterated’ Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol, was imported into Nigeria.
Mr Kyari who made this known in Abuja during a briefing with press men on Wednesday said the PMS was brought into the country from Belgium.
He further disclosed that the bad PMS was brought into the country by four importers from Antwerp, Belgium, with quality inspectors failing to detect the high level of methanol in it.
He listed the companies as MRS, Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium, Oando, and Duke Oil.
Below is the NNPC GMD’s Full statement:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for joining us at this press conference.
1. We wish to update our customers and the public on the ongoing efforts by NNPC and other stakeholders to resolve the issues generated by the unfortunate supply and discharge of methanol blended gasoline (PMS) in some Nigerian depots.
2. On 20th January 2022, NNPC received a report from our quality inspector on the presence of emulsion particles in PMS cargoes shipped to Nigeria from Antwerp-Belgium.
3. NNPC investigation revealed the presence of Methanol in Four (4) PMS cargoes imported by the following DSDP suppliers namely:
Importer Vessel Name Load Port
1 MRS MT Bow Pioneer LITASCO Terminal, Antwerp-Belgium
2 Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium MT Tom Hilde
3 Oando MT Elka Apollon
4 Duke Oil MT Nord Gainer
4. Cargoes quality certificates issued at load port (Antwerp-Belgium) by AmSpec Belgium indicate that the gasoline complied with Nigerian Specification.
5. The NNPC quality inspectors including GMO, SGS, GeoChem and G&G conducted tests before discharge also showed that the gasoline met Nigerian specification.
6. As a standard practice for all PMS import to Nigeria, the cargoes were equally certified by inspection agent appointed by the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has met Nigerian specification.
7. It is important to note that the usual quality inspection protocol employed in both the load port in Belgium and our discharge ports in Nigeria do not include the test for Percent methanol content and therefore the additive was not detected by our quality inspectors.
8. In order to prevent the distribution of the petrol, we have ordered the quarantine of all un-evacuated volumes and the holding back of all the affected products in transit (both truck & marine).
9. All defaulting suppliers have been put on notice for remedial actions and NNPC will work with the authority to take further necessary actions in line with subsisting regulations.
10. NNPC wishes to reassure Nigerians that we are currently sourcing additional cargoes to ensure product sufficiency”.
