The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has stated that the current fuel scarcity in the the country is due to the disruption of ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol.
Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd., Mr Olufemi Soneye, said on Monday, that the ship-to-ship (STS) transfer was between mother vessels and daughter vessels.
Soneye also said the adverse weather condition also affected berthing at jetties, truck load-outs, and transportation of products to filling stations, causing a disruption in station supply logistics.
According to him, “The NNPC Ltd. 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.
“NNPC Ltd. is working with relevant stakeholders to resolve the logistics challenges and restore seamless supply of petrol to affected areas.
“Already, loading has commenced in areas where these challenges have subsided, and we are hoping that the situation will continue to improve in the coming days and full normalcy will be restored”.
