Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
19 Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and skid plants have been sealed in Ogun State by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) over alleged failure to adhere to safety standards and operating without approval.
Operation Controller of DPR, Abeokuta Field Office, Muinat Bello-Zagi, made this known, on Monday, at a stakeholders meeting with leadership and members of LPG Skid Owners Association, Ogun State chapter, held at the DPR Abeokuta Office.
The DPR boss said the department carried out the sealing of the gas plants during its two week safety surveillance of LPG and skid plants in areas such as Mowe, Magboro, Abeokuta, Sagamu, Isheri-Olofin and Ijebu-Ode. She added four operators were also arrested and handed over to the operatives of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
According to her, the affected gas plants were discovered to either be operating without licence and approval or failed to abide by the stipulated safety standards of DPR.
She said the DPR, saddled with the responsibility of regulating and monitoring oil and gas sector in Nigeria, will continue to engage gas plant operators in the state on the need to adhere strictly to safety standards.
Zagi, however, disclosed that a sum of N1m had been slammed as a financial penalty on each of three operators who broke the seal of DPR.
“DPR will continue to to ensure that gas plant owners and skid operators in the state abide strictly to our safety standards, this is because DPR has zero tolerance for safety lapses. In two weeks, our surveillance team was able to seal up 19 LPG plants and skid outlets across the state, for operating without licence or approval.
“Others were sealed for not abiding to safety standards as laid down by the Department. Some were located very close to ignition source, under high tension wire while some are located close to bakeries.
“In fact, some skid outlets will be dismantled because they contravene DPR safety procedure which stipulates that a skid should be constructed on a minimum of two plots of land and observation of at least 15 meters distance to any source of ignition. As a Department, we will continue to engage stakeholders in this sector to ensure safety of lives and property,” Zagi submitted.
In his remark, the state chairman of LPG Skid Owners Association, Alhaji Suraju Adebisi, lauded DPR for organising such meeting and added the association was ready to collaborate with the Department to ensure safety.
Adebisi, who said the association has set up safety committee, however, lamented multiple taxation and extortion by various state government agencies.