DPR arrests illegal vessel of petrol at Kirikiri Depot

 

The management of Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on Monday seized a vessel MT JAZI loaded with 1. 5 million of contaminated petroleum product while discharging at Nakem Jetty, Kirikiri, Lagos.

Mr Mordecai Ladan, Director, DPR told the media in Lagos that the vessel was intercepted on Feb 11 while discharging at Nakam jetty.

Ladan, who was represented by Mr Wole Akinmosoye, Zonal Operations Controllers, Lagos of  DPR said that after much investigations by DPR it was discovered that the vessel did not have DPR authorization to deliver product at the depot.

According to the director, we proceeded immediately to halt the discharge and fiscalised the tanks at Nakem depot, sequel to which we discovered that the facility was stocking a total of 1.5 million litres of petroleum product suspected to be discharged by the4 vessel.

“The vessel is still under the custody of the Nigerian Navy for more investigation. We wish to reiterate that DPR has no record of any product importation by Nakem.

“We also have no record of any arrangement of the facility with a third party, for product storage at the time,’’ he said.

Ladan said that the agency subsequently drew samples from the tanks at the facility for laboratory analysis, adding that it was confirmed that the product is actually off specification.

He said that the product, has failed all the basic parameters, especially in flashpoint and specific gravity.

The DPR boss said that the product being dumped at Nakem does not meet the standard specifications of any white product.

He said that the depot has been sealed by the agency since Feb. 12 and the vessel MT JAZI was under Nigerian Navy custody, adding that the product would eventually be evacuated for quarantine by the appropriate government agency.

“We wish to use this medium to reiterate our position on zero tolerance to illegal activities in the depots across the nation and unlading of off-spec product in the facilities.

“As we have always stressed, depot operators should be reminded that the agency will not tolerate landing of products of untraceable source at the depots, Ladan said.

The director said that the agency would continue to assiduously work to guarantee products integrity at the depots and forestall the flow of adulterated products into the retails outlets.

He, however advised depot operators to adhered to the existing laws permitting vessel berthing and discharge operations between sunrise to sunset only and be guided accordingly.