Kunle Kalejaye
20 February 2017, Sweetcrude, Lagos — Nigeria’s petroleum watchdog, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR has seized an MT JAZI vessel 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 Nakem 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 authorisation to deliver product at the depot.
“As a result, we proceeded immediately to halt the discharge and fiscalised the tanks at Nakem depot, sequel our discovery that the facility has a total of 1.5 million litres of petroleum product suspected to be discharged from the 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 throughput arrangement of the facility with a third party, for product storage at the time,’’ he said.
Ladan said that the agency subsequently took samples from the tanks at the facility for laboratory analyses, which revealed that the product is off-specification having failed all the basic parameters, especially in regards to flash point and specific gravity.
He advised depot operators to adhere to the existing laws permitting vessel berthing and discharge operations and desist from illegal activities.