The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has begun a sensitisation of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) refilling plant dealers on standard operations of their plants to avoid unnecessary disaster.
The sensitisation was kick-started by the Operations Controller, DPR, Yola office, Mr Sadeq Ibrahim, on Wednesday in Yola. Ibrahim said that the sensitisation had become necessary, following the rapid proliferation of LPG refilling plants in the state.
He noted that the sensitisation was aimed at ensuring that the base standard operation was achieved and maintained in all LPG refilling facilities in the state.
“No person should construct, modify, install or operate any LPG handling plant without the approval of the department. All LPG refilling plants in the state should, as a matter of urgency, develop a detailed standard operating procedure which must be approved by the DPR.
“DPR will not take it lightly with any unregistered dealer or anyone operating without valid operational licence,” Ibrahim said.
He said that the guideline for the operation of LPG was not only restricted to refilling plants, but that it also included vehicular movements, tanker off-loading, product transfers and gas cylinder refilling. Ibrahim advised dealers, who had yet to register to do so, as the department would soon begin inspection of refilling plants across the state.
He said that in spite of the proliferation of LPG refilling facilities in the state; only eight dealers had registered and obtained the department’s operation licenses. In his remarks, Alhaji Ibrahim Jada, Chairman, Adamawa branch of LPG Refilling Plant Dealers’ Association, said that the activities of unregistered dealers were threatening the survival of their businesses in the state. Jada promised to collaborate with the DPR to identify the unregistered dealers and flush them out in order to sanitise the business.
“Our members are now ready to cooperate with the department to sanitise our business and ensure maintenance of standard operations, in line with the National Petroleum Act,” he said.
