THE SULPHUR CONTENT SAGA

Dangote Refinery has countered allegations by the Nigerian Upstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) that its refined products are of poor quality compared to imported ones.

Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

 A letter from the regulatory agency reveals that it had actually approved Dangote Refinery's in-house laboratory for testing crude oil products, casting doubt on the validity of NMDPRA's earlier claims.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) confirmed that Dangote Refinery's laboratory met accreditation requirements in a March 28, 2024 letter. However, this has sparked a public dispute over the quality of the refinery's products, despite the $19 billion facility's claims of meeting international standards.

Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, stated that the products refined at the Dangote Refinery, the world's largest single train refinery, surpass the quality of imported products and meet international standards. He proposed a comparative test of diesel products, including Dangote's, at the refinery's advanced laboratory.

Previously, diesel samples from two prominent filling stations near Eleko junction, Lekki Epe Expressway, were tested under the supervision of visiting lawmakers. The results showed:

- Dangote's diesel: 87.6 parts per million (ppm) sulphur content

- Other two samples: sulphur levels exceeding 1800 ppm and 2000 ppm, respectively.

This comparison highlights the superior quality of Dangote's diesel.

Aliko Dangote refuted claims made by NMDPRA's CEO, Farouk Ahmed, that imported diesel is superior to domestically refined products. Ahmed had alleged that Dangote Refinery and other local refineries produce diesel with high sulphur content (650-1200 ppm). However, test results showed Dangote's diesel has only 87.6 ppm sulphur content, contradicting Ahmed's claims.

A letter from NMDPRA's Executive Director, Mustapha Lamorde, clarified that the refinery's accreditation covers analysis of specific products, including diesel, but only for those produced within the refinery. This statement implies that Ahmed's previous claims may have been misleading, and Dangote's products meet international standards, unlike imported diesel with much higher sulphur levels (1800 ppm and 2000 ppm).

The letter read, “Reference is made to the inspection exercises carried out on your laboratory facility by the officers of the Authority on 19 October 2023, 19 December 2023 & 1 9— 22 March 2024 respectively.“The report of the inspections revealed that your laboratory has satisfied the minimum requirement in terms of equipment and personnel to render an in-house Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) of petroleum/petroleum products.

“Consequently, an interim accreditation (Phase l) is granted to your laboratory on the condition that the accreditation covers analyses of Crude Oil, LPG, Naphtha, Gasoline, HHK/ATF, and AGO only) handled/produced in your refinery.

“Therefore, upon completion of other sections of the petroleum laboratory and subsequent relocation, re-installation, and calibration of equipment designated for these sections. You are required to re-invite the Authority for verification inspection and accreditation audit for the Wet Chemistry section of the facility (Phase Il accreditation audit), the letter stated.

“Additionally, the phase Ill scope of the laboratory accreditation which includes the polypropylene laboratory, chemical store, sample retention room, bottle washing room, and the ongoing civil work at the exterior part of the facility, NMDPRA said, shall be re-inspected for accreditation.“You are expected to invite the Authority for inspection/audit of these sections (Phase Ill accreditation audit), and subsequently the final audit and accreditation of the entire facility.

“Furthermore, you are required to submit an electronic copy of your activity report in a Microsoft Excel format quarterly to hsec@nmdpra.gov.na alongside the hard copies. The activity report as a minimum should contain: Status of your laboratory equipment ll. Types of analyses conducted, and test methods used and number and batch(s) of samples analysed.”The letter also said any personnel changes (analysts), or test methodology should be reported to the Authority in writing within two weeks before the date of such changes.Failure to comply with any of the conditions in the approval, it stressed, will attract appropriate consequent management action.

Source: thisdaylive.com

BLACK GOLD BULLETIN…

…where oil minds unite