The Nation Newspaper

Tag: DPR

  • DPR slams marketers for under-dispensing petrol

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) yesterday, accused some marketers of using some Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) outlets to defraud motorists via under-dispensing of petrol.

    Its Zonal Operations Controller in charge of Abuja Zone, Mr. Abdu Misau Abba who spoke with reporters in Abuja yesterday, hailed  NNPC for ensuring  products availability at the right prices.

    He lamented that some unscrupulous marketers were sabotaging the efforts of the NNPC.

    He urged the state run oil firm to check the activities of its marketers and ensure that those found wanting are called to order.

    Abba’s comments came on the heels of a NNPC Retail station in Wuse II, Abuja, operated by Iluobe Petroleum Limited, which was sealed by the DPR for the fourth time, over a space of a couple of months, for under-dispensing petrol to motorists.

    He said: “I want to appeal to the NNPC, because they are using its name to cheat the public. We know NNPC is doing everything possible to make this product available at government controlled price.

    “I want to appeal to the NNPC not to allow a businessman that does not have conscience to continue using its name and logo to cheat the public. The NNPC has to look into this issue and see how they can solve the problem, because we cannot continue to allow such marketers operate.”

    According to Abba, the NNPC retail outlet had been consistent in its fraudulent activities and had been punished several times, yet, it continued in its acts.

    He explained that out every 10 litres purchased in the retail outlet, motorists are being cheated by two litres, translating to motorists purchasing the products at N181 per litre.

    He said: “We have sealed this station four times. The last was done last week. We just opened it on Friday and they went back to the same action. What they normally do is that in the morning, they rectify the pumps, but, when they are sure that we are closed from work, they will just under-dispense.

    “This is the worst under-dispensing I have ever seen in my career. They are cheating the public-two litres in every 10 liters they sell to the public — which translates to selling one litre of PMS at N181. We cannot just close our eyes and allow them continue with this sort of activity.

    “What we are going to do now, we have sealed them severally and we have put penalties, which they paid and are comfortable paying, because they would eventually transfer the penalty to the public. We cannot continue to allow them to do that. This time, we would apply the maximum sanction.

    The station would remain sealed for the next four months, after which, we can now take a decision on them.”

  • DPR approves LPG extraction plant construction in Rivers

    Oil industry regulator, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has okayed the construction of a 12 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) capacity Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG ) extraction plant at Ikuru Town in Rivers State  by Green Energy International Ltd, the operator of the Otakikpo marginal field in oil mining lease (OML 11).

    A statement by DPR Legal & Corporate Matters Director Olusegun Ilori said the nod was sequel to the successful submission  of the detailed engineering design (DED) of the plant which licence was issued last year.

    The engineering design, according to the statement,   was produced under the supervision of the indigenous operator by the contractors, PCC-LAMBDA Consortium, formed between indigenous companies and a Chinese company -Peiyang Chemical Equipment Co. Ltd (PCC), the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

    The company, which began production in February, last year, said it was determined to ensure the use of the gas produced from the field for LPG  and power generation, among others.

    Ilori said the gas plant involves the use of the lean gas to power the 12megawatt (Mw) gas generator at Otakikpo field, out of which 5Mw would be dedicated to the host communities in line with its memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government while the LPG and propane would be bottled and sold.

    Part of the LPG shall be for domestic use in Otakikpo communities to support small scale industries to stimulate the Niger Delta economy.

    He said the company appreciates the support of the DPR in ensuring the prompt approval.

    He said the LPG plant, expected to be completed in 12 months, would be a boost  the country’s drive towards the domestic gas use.

     

  • DPR shuts filling station

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Eket Field Office, has sealed off a filling station under construction at Obot Idim in Ibesikpo Local Government of Akwa Ibom State.

    DPR Operations Controller Mr. Tamunoiminabo Kingsley-Sundaye told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Uyo that the station had no approval from the agency.

    He said the location of the station was against the law.

    Kingsley-Sundaye said: “We have placed the government stop order on the station and we expect the developer to stop further work.

    “We will a send report to the relevant law enforcement agency and if the developer disobeys the government’s seal order, the owner will be arrested and prosecuted.”

    He said the department observed that the station shared a common boundary with a church.

    The operations controller said stations built close to churches, schools, markets and other centres were against the DPR regulations.

    He said the station violated the government order.

    Kingsley-Sundaye said the department would contact Uyo Development Authority to verify the station’s status.

    “If Uyo Development Authority gave the approval, then it is a pity because DPR will not allow that place to be a filling station,” he said.

  • DPR seals filling station under construction in Akwa Ibom

    DPR seals filling station under construction in Akwa Ibom

    The Department of Petroleum Resources ( DPR ) Eket Field Office, has sealed a petrol filling station under construction at Obot Idim in Ibesikpo Local Government of Akwa Ibom.

    Mr Tamunoiminabo Kingsley-Sundaye, the Operations Controller of DPR in the state, disclosed this to our reporter in Uyo on Thursday.

    He said that the station had no approval from the Department of Petroleum Resources to build the structure.

    Kingsley-Sundaye said that the location of the station was against the law.

    Read Also: DPR seals 70 stations in six months in Delta

    “We have put government stop order and we expect the developer to stop further work.

    “We will send report to the relevant law enforcement agency and if the developer disobeys the government seal order, the owner will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly, ” he said.

    Kingsley-Sundaye said that the department observed that the station was sharing a common boundary with a church in the area.

    He said stations built close to churches, schools, markets and other centres were against the regulations.

    The DPR boss explained that the station had violated government order.

    He said the department would contact the Uyo Development Authority to verify status of the station.

    “If Uyo Development Authority gave the approval, then it is a pity because DPR will not allow that place to be a filling station, ” he said.

  • DPR shuts down 26 erring filling stations in Oyo

    DPR shuts down 26 erring filling stations in Oyo

    The Oyo State office of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) yesterday warned petroleum marketers hoarding the product or selling above government approved prices to desist from the illegal act or risk six months suspension or revocation of their operating licences.

    The Head of Operations for Ibadan Office, Sadiq Ibrahim, issued the warning yesterday in Ibadan, the state capital, during an inspection, monitoring and enforcement across the metropolis.

    His inspection team went tough on some independent marketers for allegedly selling petrol above approved pump price of N145 per litre.

    It sealed up 26 stations across the state.

    During a monitoring, some filling stations allegedly caught dispensing fuel for N165 and N180 at Olomi, Olunde, Odo Ona Elewe, Elebu and Orita Challenge areas of Ibadan were sealed up.

    The affected stations include Solace Global Resources Limited, Olomi, RBK Global Petroleum, Olunde, Olojuoro Road, Deenbas International Limited, Iyana Sheu, Olomi, Nurdock Energy, Olomi Market and Foresee Golden Profile Limited at Odo-Ona Elewe.

    Besides the affected filling stations, majority of independent marketers still dispensed petrol at N170 per litre.

    All filling stations, except those of major marketers at Apete, Eleyele-Sango axis, were said to be selling the product between N165 and N180 per litre.

    Major marketers, including Bovas and SAO Petroleum, sold petrol at N143 per litre to customers on long queues.

    Addressing reporters after the monitoring, Ibrahim said DPR would not relent until the owners of filling stations complied with the directive of the Federal Government that the pump price of fuel remained N145 per litre.

    He said: “We are here to carry out one of our official functions to ensure that all filling stations within our zone dispense petrol at the rate of N145 per litre. It is a routine job. Every filling station must, I repeat, must sell petrol at N145 per litre. Government has not increased the price. So, we cannot allow marketers to fix their price arbitrarily.

    “Today, we have sealed four filling stations. We sealed three for selling above the pump price and one for absconding on hearing that we were on routine inspection, despite our record that they had fuel in their fuel dump.

    “Till date, we have sealed about 25 filling stations. We have various penalties for erring filling stations. Whoever complied and paid the fee penalty, we’ll unseal the station. But that does not stop us from sealing the station again, if the same marketer commits the same offence or a similar offence.

    “There is a sanction for stations that are notorious. But so far, we have not come across any in Ibadan. After sealing and unsealing a station and the station commits the same error or a similar offence, we will seal the station again.

    “Petroleum marketers should comply with the present pump price at N145 per litre. That is just my advice to them. Failure to do that, we are going to take more drastic actions against them. It will not only be payment of fine. We are going to suspend the station from operating, ranging from three months to six months, even revocation of their operating licence. We have the power to do that.”

    The station manager of Nurdok Energy, Mr AbdulAzeez Agbede, who was allegedly selling at N180, denied doing so, though his customers confirmed that he sold at N180.

    He said: “I don’t know why they sealed up my station. I was not selling at N180; I sold it at N145 per litre. Those people you spoke with were lying.”

     

     

  • Fuel: DPR watching depots, retail outlets

    Fuel: DPR watching depots, retail outlets

    The Department of Petroleum Resources, (DPR) Lagos Zone, has redoubled its surveillance at the depots and  retail outlets to further boost the ongoing efforts of the Federal Government to ensure constant supply of petroleum products across the nation.

    “We have been monitoring activities at the depots to gauge availability and ensure timely truck-out of available products. We have also intensified surveillance to ensure that available premium motor spirit (PMS) is not sold above the N145 cap price at the pumps.”

    He said DPR has noticed that “some unscrupulous operators, aware that our officials cannot possibly be at all the 9,039 registered retail outlets in Lagos Zone at the same time, often adjust their pumps to deliver at the cap price whenever they sense DPR presence in their area and hike the price subsequently. We, therefore, advise that motorists should insist on obtaining receipts for the purchase from such retail outlets.”

    DPR said it is expending all efforts to bring erring marketers to book through imposition of fines and suspensions in line with extant regulations. Specifically, the following retail outlets were sanctioned in the zone in February 2018 – Omo – Owo, Marns Nigeria Limited, Rasaq Oil, Vicket Limited, Whalex Limited, OSEFEM Resources, KOLFRACIS Limited, Dauyet Oil & Gas and Ocean Grace.”

    The retail outlets are located at Ilogbo, Randal-Imeko, Atogbe-Ilara, Ilara-Alagbe and Ilara. Their offences range from hoarding, selling above pump price between N170 and N180 per litre, under-dispensing, no caution signs, no sand bucket and petrol attendants without PPE (personal protective equipment). At Vicket Limited, there is a salon and liquor sold inside the premises.

     

  • DPR seals 4 filling stations in Anambra

    DPR seals 4 filling stations in Anambra

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), has sealed four filling stations in Anambra for suspected diversion and selling of petrol above N145 as approved by the Federal Government.

    Mr Callistus Obodoechina of the Retail Outlets and marketing Unit, DPR Enugu office, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Sunday.

    NAN reports that the affected stations are located in Nkwelle-Ezunaka, Awkuzu, and Nkpor.

    Obodoechina said three of the sealed filling stations refused to revert to the approved price when directed by the agency, while one was suspected to have diverted the product to another location.

    He said the field monitoring exercise was targeted at marketers, whose names were contained in the DPR manifest as having procured product.

    The DPR official regretted that in spite of the numerous warnings, enforcement and media campaigns against violating price and diversion of petroleum products, marketers were adamant to frustrate the system.

    Obodoechina said the DPR would continue its round the clock monitoring and enforcement to ensure that marketers played by the rules, while recalcitrant ones were disciplined.

    “DPR is not relenting on ensuring that normalcy is restored, we are monitoring price and we are monitoring supply.

    “We monitored sales where we forced them to sell at the government approved rate of N145, and three of them refused to revert, so we sealed them off.

    “One filling station was also sealed for suspected diversion, investigation would be conducted and if the operator is culpable, appropriate sanctions would be applied.

    “But more importantly, we would ensure that customers got products at the normal rate by making sure that a number of marketers sold the products at N145, the rule is that if a marketer cannot sell at the normal rate, he should better not buy,’’ he said.

    Meanwhile, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), said the action of the DPR though necessary, would not solve the problem of hike in the price of petrol.

    Chief Ikechukwu Nwankwo, the Chairman of IPMAN, Enugu Depot said there was the need to address the fundamental cause of the problem which was scarcity.

    Nwankwo warned his members not to engage in sharp practices, including hoarding of products, as anyone caught in the act would not be protected by the association.

    “There is scarcity of products, harassing marketers with the DPR cannot solve the problem, if there is product, all the NNPC mega filling stations and mini filling stations will have fuel and naturally the marketers will fall in line.

    “Our refineries should be made to work, if they are working optimally, we cannot be talking of importation and as far as we are relying on importation, we will continue to have this problem.

    “Whoever is diverting product is doing so at his own peril, it is between him and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

    “Any person that loads products should take it to the intended destinations, discharge it there and dispense it there,’’ he said. (NAN)

  • DPR sanctions seven stations

    DPR sanctions seven stations

    The Warri Zonal Office of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has sanctioned seven petrol stations in Delta State.

    Head, Downstream Operations, Warri Zonal Office, Mr. Onyenefa Chuks, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Warri yesterday that two of the stations were sealed off in Asaba.

    Onyenefa, who led a surveillance team to the stations, said five others were shut in Warri for sharp practices, including over-pricing, under-dispensing and diversion of petroleum products on Tuesday.

    He said eight filling stations were compelled to dispense products at the government approved pump price of N145 per litre to customers.

    Onyenefa said a retail outlet in Asaba was sealed off for diverting over 12,000 litres, adding that a major marketer was sanctioned in Isele-Uku for over-pricing.

    “A retail outlet belonging to Mobil in Asaba was shut for allegedly diverting over 12,000 litres of fuel.

    “An outlet owned by Rainoil in Isele-Uku was sanctioned for selling above the government approved pump price of N145 per litre.

    “The level of compliance is getting better. We visited over 11 stations in Asaba and most of them dispensed at the controlled pump price without being compelled to do so.

    “We sealed off Mobil filling station because it received products on Saturday, sold over the weekend according to them, but could not provide the sales book when we asked for it.

    “They will come to our office with evidence that the products were sold and then we will unseal the station.

  • Station owners to be prosecuted for violating DPR order

    Proprietors of eight filling stations in Akwa Ibom State are to be prosecuted for violating the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) seal off order, the Controller (Operations), Mr. Tamunoiminabo Kingsley-Sundaye, has said.

    He spoke yesterday in Uyo when the surveillance team of DPR carried out operations.

    Kingsley-Sundaye listed the stations as ABC filling station, Oil Link Lubrication Ltd, UdyChris filling station, Tonimas filling station, Sannil filling station, First Indices filling station, Nickgloson filling station and Spicy filling station.

    He said they were located on Ikot Ekpene road, Uyo, Abak road, Uyo and Aka Itiam in Uyo Local Government.

    “We are writing to the police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to arrest owners of these stations and prosecute them,” Kingsley-Sundaye said.

    He said when the team visited the stations that had been sealed off to find out the level of compliance, eight of them were caught selling fuel with DPR seal.

    “We had sealed off the eight stations for selling above approved government pump price of N145 per litre,” Kingsley-Sundaye said.

    He said the marketers disrespected the Federal Government price regime, adding that they would be prosecuted.

    Kingsley-Sundaye said the stations would be suspended from loading at the depot.

    “We are writing to the depot to stop these stations from lifting petroleum products,” he added.

    The      DPR controller of operation said their suspension would act as a deterrent to others.

    He warned independent marketers to desist from selling fuel to black marketers carrying jerry-cans.

    Kingsley-Sundaye said the department seized 50 litres of petrol and 100 jerry-cans of the product from black marketers, who sold fuel opposite NNPC filling station in Uyo.

  • Fire at DPR office in Niger

    Fire at DPR office in Niger

    The Niger State office of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) was razed by fire on Tuesday

    It was learnt that the fire which occurred on Monday evening was caused by electrical spark.

    Addressing journalists after the incident in Minna, the state Operations Controller of DPR, Engr. Abdullahi Isah Jankara, said the fire began from the internet and inverter room and razed four offices.

    He said it took the efforts of fire fighters from the state Fire Service to put the fire under control.

    “The offices affected included the Account office, Head of Gas office, Head of Downstream office and the room for inverter and internet services,” Jankara said.

    He said several items which had not been ascertained at the time of filing this report were damaged in the four offices.

    “We have a lot of documents as related to license processing and products scheduling intact because they were all kept in my office.

    “The inverter is gone and all the internet facilities are burnt. We are still taking the inventory to know the exact number of items damaged by the fire,” the operation controller added.