The Warri Zonal Office of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has sanctioned 11 petrol stations and two gas plants in Delta in two separate operations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the erring petrol and gas stations were sealed in Warri and Asaba in the last one week.
Mr Nicholas Ogbe, Manager, Downstream of the DPR, told NAN in Warri on Tuesday that erring stations were shut over offences bordering on under-dispensing and operating without business names and valid licenses
The affected stations were:Total, Asholyn, Forte Oil, Mobil, Yins Petroleum, Pagson Limited, Esiton Oil, Vwede Oil, Hemson Gas plant and Esegbe Gas plant in the Warri axis.
Others were: Alpha Bykeez Limited and Dwell Pet both situated along the Okpanaun Road in Asaba.
NAN reports that Ogbe had led a team of the regulatory agency on surveillance in the Warri axis where nine filling stations and two gas plants were sealed.
Similarly, Mr Bright Ogbeni, Manager, Upstream of the DPR, had led the team to Asaba for a similar exercise and two erring petrol outlets were shut after inspecting several filling stations and gas plants amid heavy downpour.
Ogbe, who spoke on behalf of Mr Antai Asuquo, the Operations Controller, Warri Zonal office of the DPR, said the surveillance was to ascertain the marketers’ level of compliance with the agency’s rules of operation.
According to him, there are rules guiding the establishment and sales of petroleum and gas products.
He added that one of the statutory functions of the DPR was to monitor and regulate petroleum products, storage and sales.
“To operate gas plant and filling stations, you are expected to have a license, renew it when it has expired, if you don’t have, you need to come to DPR and get a license.
“You also need to have fire extinguisher, and train your staff. You cannot bring somebody to come and monitor the sales of gas without training the staff.
“If you train your staff, they will be able to dispense product, be it gas filling stations or petroleum filling stations,” he said.
Asuquo, who expressed joy at the level of compliance, said that the surveillance would be a continuous one so that consumers would always get value for their money.
“As required, we usually come out routinely to stations dispensing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to ensure they are dispensing the right quantities to the public.
“We go out on routine inspection, not only when there is fuel scarcity, to ensure the right quality and quantity of product is being delivered to the public at a good metre factor.
“We do this so that consumers can get value for their money.
“When you dispense PMS above the metre factor that is stipulated by the Federal Government, you are expected to pay a fine to the government.
“We do the surveillance weekly or bi-weekly. We do random check without notification because when the marketers know that we are not on the field, they readjust their dispensing pumps, ” he said.
The operations controller, who hailed the level of compliance, however, advised the marketers to follow proper channels while setting up gas or petrol stations.
He warned the defaulters that it was a criminal offence to remove the seal and dispense products without paying the necessary dues to the government.
“Before setting up a gas or filling station, you have to come to the DPR office for a license.
“There are processes, DPR officials will come for feasibility studies and others, if you meet the requirements, you will be issued a license,” he said.
Asuquo advised marketers to adhere strictly to the rules of the regulatory agency by acquiring valid licenses, renew it when necessary and dispense products at the right volume to the public. (NAN)