By Tom Moses
UYO-Director, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, Mr. George Osahon, last week took a swipe at the operators and managers of petroleum tank farms and depots in Akwa-Ibom and Cross River states for allegedly compromising prescribed standards in their operations.

Osahon expressed his displeasure after an on-the-spot assessment of the state of petroleum dispensing facilities at Eket, Akwa-Ibom State, and Calabar, Cross River State.

He subsequently met with the operators and managers of the tank farms and depots at the Calabar Free Trade Zone, CFTZ, saying it was mind-boggling the manner the operators compromised with the issues of standards and safety of the tank farms.

“It is mind-boggling the way you compromise on the issues of standards and safety in the tank farms whereas you have the operational guidelines with you.”

Disturbed by the development,Osahon attributed such carelessness as being one of the reasons for the recent raising of a section of the Tempogate Oil and Energy Company Limited, Calabar by fire and the attendant loss of one life.

He therefore said the DPR would review the guidelines of operation of tank farms and depots in the country to forestall future occurrences.

“We will have to go back and review your operational guidelines because we cannot continue where there are no standards and where safety guides are not taken seriously. Every activity you embark on in the tank farms must be of standard,” he stressed.

He also noted that the way the tanks were positioned in the tank farms were too close to each other and could pose irreparable danger should explosions occur, and urged the operators to give reasonable spacing between tanks when new silos are being built.

Osahon also frowned at the observed disorderly manner tankers went into the depots to lift products, and disclosed of DPR’splan to computerise its operations.

Part of the plan is to also calibrate all trucks in order to instantly capture the quantity of petroleum products lifted, those lifting them and their destinations to avoid diversion and other criminal activities.