The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has attributed the recent scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to disruptions in ship-to-ship transfers of petrol.
The Nation reports that on Monday, July 8, Olufemi Soneye, its chief corporate communications officer, highlighted severe weather conditions as the primary cause.
The statement reads:
The NNPC Ltd wishes to state that the fuel queues seen in the FCT and some parts of the country, were as a result of disruption of ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, between Mother Vessels and Daughter Vessels resulting from recent thunderstorm.
“The adverse weather condition has also affected berthing at jetties, truck load-outs and transportation of products to filling stations, causing a disruption in station supply logistics.
“The NNPC Ltd also states that due to flammability of petroleum products and in compliance with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) regulations, it was impossible to load petrol during rainstorms and lightning.
“Adherence to these regulations is mandatory as any deviation could pose severe danger to the trucks, filling stations and human lives.
“Similarly, the development was compounded by consequential flooding of truck routes which has constrained movement of PMS from the coastal corridors to the Federal Capital, Abuja.
“The NNPC Ltd is working with relevant stakeholders to resolve the logistics challenges and restore seamless supply of petrol to affected areas.
In response to these challenges, NNPC stated that it is actively collaborating with relevant stakeholders to address the logistics issues and restore seamless supply of petrol to impacted regions.
It urged motorists to refrain from panic buying and hoarding of petroleum products, assuring the public of its commitment to resolving the supply disruptions swiftly.
The statement added:
“Already, loading has commenced in areas where these challenges have subsided, and we are hoping the situation will continue to improve in the coming days and full normalcy would be restored.
“The NNPC also calls on motorists to avoid panic buying and hoarding of petroleum products.”
TheNGblog earlier reported that petrol has been scarce in Abuja and some states since last week, resulting in pump prices increasing to as much as N720 to N820 per litre, while black market traders are quoting N1,000 to N1,200 per litre.
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