NNPC completes removal of adulterated fuel from circulation

By Derrick Bangura

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has withdrawn all methanol-blend gasoline that was imported into the nation three weeks ago.

The NNPC also noted that clean petrol shipments are coming in the country on a regular basis to fill the void left by the withdrawal of methanol blended gasoline.

According to the NNPC, the off-spec gasoline was imported into the country via four shipments under the company’s Direct Sales Direct Purchase (DSDP) agreement.

MRS, which imported the methanol-blended gasoline via a vessel named MT Bow Pioneer, Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium via a vessel named MT Tom Hilde, Oando via a vessel named MT Elka Apollon, and Duke Oil via a vessel named MT Nord Gainer were the four companies accused of supplying it. In press releases made available to the public, Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi, MRS, and Oando have all refuted this assertion.

The commodity was purchased from international trader LITASCO and delivered via the LITASCO loading port terminal in Antwerp, Belgium, on an MT Nord Gainer.

The NNPC intervened to bring the incident to a halt by guaranteeing that methanol-blend gasoline did not reach the filling stations.

To do this, the NNPC ensured that all cargoes suspected of containing methanol were quarantined and that all trucks leaving the depots were followed and intercepted.

The NNPC also refilled the depot with cleaner fuels and dispatched staff to inspect all filling stations to guarantee that no petrol with high methanol levels was present.

In addition, the NNPC has increased its efforts to increase the supply of gasoline into the market in order to fill any supply gaps that may arise.

Dr. Kayode Opeifa, a former Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, said the NNPC’s intervention in averting a major crisis that would have resulted if the full contaminated petroleum had entered the Nigerian market was timely.

“This is to be expected in this situation,” he explained. You quarantine the quantity, remove those in circulation, and then conduct an inquiry, which is the stage I believe we should be concerned with so that we don’t have any more damage than we already have.

“To that end, as someone who works in the transportation sector and has an analytical chemistry background, I believe that is sufficient for the general public.” The product is no longer available.