The Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority certify the imported Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, that is imported into Nigeria, oil marketers have said.
They disclosed this on Thursday in response to claims by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery that off-spec petroleum products were imported into the country by dealers.
On Tuesday the refinery informed Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited and other oil marketers that the deregulation of the downstream oil sector should not be used as a justification for the importation of off-spec petroleum products or the undermining of Nigeria’s national interests.
Oil marketers denied this claim on Thursday as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited, Robert Dickerman, also revealed that his firm signed a 13-year agreement with the Dangote refinery to distribute the refinery’s petroleum products through pipelines.
Dickerman pointed out that independent inspectors, NMDPRA, and SON, among others, “inspect our products, so we can’t bring in off-spec products into this country.”His position was confirmed by SON, as an impeccable source at the agency told one of our correspondents that the Standard Organisation of Nigeria was involved in the testing of imported petroleum products.
The official added that the organisation operates its own laboratory facility to check if the commodities are off-spec or not.
“Yes, We are involved in the testing of petroleum products when they come into the country. We are involved in that. We have our laboratory facility where these tests are conducted. It’s to ensure if the commodities meet regulatory standards or off-spec,” the official said.
A major marketer also kicked against the claim that dealers import off-spec products into the country, particularly since the downstream oil sector was deregulated by the Federal Government. “I once told you what we went through when we brought in our imported cargo of petrol. The product underwent a lot of laboratory tests. I know the NMDPRA carries out tests on imported products. They took a sample of our recent import when it was still in the mother vessel at Atlas Cove before it was moved to Apapa.
“At the point of discharge, they took the sample again before allowing us to put it in our tanks. The NMDPRA has certified laboratories that they use. We have our laboratory but the NMDPRA will not allow you to do your test without them certifying the product by themselves.
“The testing is in three stages, the one in Atlas Cove when the vessel lands in Nigeria. When the product moves to your point of discharge they will do another test before they allow it into your tanks and aside from that, the day you want to start loading they will carry another test,” the marketer, who spoke in confidence due to lack of authorisation to speak on the matter, stated.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos on Thursday, Dickerman said the clarification became necessary to debunk the statement from the Dangote refinery which accused Pinnacle of plans to blend substandard petrol in Nigeria.
The Dangote refinery had also said the Pinnacle MD approached it, pleading with the refinery to extend pipelines to its tank farms in order to blend substandard imported petroleum products with its ‘high-quality’ ones.
