As the scarcity of kerosene continues to
hit many households in the country, some fuel marketers are mixing the
product with black oil to get Automotive Gas Oil, popularly known as
diesel, our correspondent has learnt.
Sources said the rise in the price of
diesel was responsible for the development, which, according to them,
has been on for some time now.
The scarcity of kerosene, used by many
Nigerian households, has resulted in up to 100 per cent increase in its
price, as it now sells for as much as N300 per litre in some parts of
the country.
One of the sources, who is an official
of an independent marketing firm in Lagos, said “Since diesel price went
up, some marketers have been mixing kerosene with black oil to get
diesel. They do this because they want a cheap price for diesel, between
N150 and N160, which is not realistic now. If depots are selling for as
much as N180 per litre, it is not realistic for you to expect to buy
AGO for N135-N140.
“Also, black oil is cheap; by the time
you mix it with kerosene, it gives you a bigger volume of diesel. Most
people originally use black oil for engine oil production, and it is
imported like other chemicals.”
When contacted for a comment, the Deputy
Manager, Public Affairs, Department of Petroleum Resources, Mr. George
Ene-Ita, said he was not aware of the combination of kerosene and black
oil to get diesel.
“If this is the case, then there is a
clear case of a breach of protocol and contract, and you can rest assure
that the DPR will try to get to the root of this aberration, find the
culprits and bring them to book,” he said.
The supply of kerosene by the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation through its subsidiary, Pipelines and
Product Marketing Company, which marketers largely depend on for the
product, has reduced in recent weeks.
The Executive Secretary, Major Oil
Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Obafemi Olawore, in a telephone
interview with our correspondent, said the foreign exchange scarcity
plaguing the country was preventing members of the group from importing
kerosene.
He said, “For the Premium Motor Spirit
we are importing, the NNPC is helping us with the dollars. The NNPC has
spoken to the international oil companies; so, some of them are giving
us the dollars.
“Even the NNPC cannot combine importation of everything because where is the dollar?
The militants (attacking oil and gas facilities) are not allowing crude
to sell at the correct quantity level that will bring in more dollars.”Source:punchng
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