LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), a Federal Government agency, has announced that Dangote Petroleum Refinery is expected to be awarded a full valid operating license to the 650,000 barrels daily capacity.
The announcement was made during a forum in Abuja
themed “Stakeholders’ Consultation Forum on Midstream and Petroleum Host Community Development Trust Regulations.”
The NMDPRA, an agency of the Federal Government, however, explained that though it had awarded a pre-commissioning licence to the $20bn refinery, a fully valid operating licence would be issued to the Dangote refinery soon.
There has been speculation that Dangote refinery will release petrol before the end of May, after releasing diesel and aviation fuel in February and April.
Speaking at the forum which was organised by the agency, the Executive Director, Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, NMDPRA, Ogbugo Ukoha, who represented NMDPRA Chief Executive, Farouk Ahmed, noted that authority would add Dangote refinery to the list of fully valid operating licence refineries.
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Ukoha pointed out that currently, only three refineries have full operating licences in the country.
He said, “We have issued three refineries with three valid licences. We awarded to Dangote refinery even in their pre-commissioning and sooner than later they will have full commission and a valid licence to also operate.”
He made a claim that about 15 gas facilities across the country have valid licences while more are undergoing processing.
The NMDPRA boss said there are 1,199 facilities with valid licences in the downstream, while more than 176 operators hold gas import permits.
Ahmed said 130 depots have valid licences while 69 hold valid coastal vessel licences, adding that NMDPRA has licensed 9,464 retail outlets as of 10 am on April 30, 2024.
“In the gas processing facility within the midstream, there are about 15 of them with valid licences. And much is under processing. If you go to the downstream sector, in the gas state of the downstream, more than 1,199 facilities have NMDPRA valid licences.
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“More than 176 operators hold gas import permits. In the liquid licensing side of the downstream, there are 130 depots with valid licences and coastal vessels of more than 69 valid licences as of today. And in the retail outlets, we have 9,464 licensed retail outlets as of 10 am today, April 30,” Ahmed stated.
He explained why locations in the midstream and downstream arms of the oil sector were included as part of host communities, stating that emissions and effluence affect them.
Additionally, NMDPRA boss emphasized on the goal of the event to stakeholders, is to exchange ideas that that would further enable the NMDPRA to relate better with host communities in the mid and downstream arms of the oil sector.
Punch