The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has given the reasons for the long fuel queues across the country, News About Nigeria reports.
The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd., Olufemi Soneye, disclosed this on Monday.
He noted that the current fuel queues in the FCT and some parts of the country are due to the disruption of ship-to-ship (STS) transfers of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol.
He stated that the ship-to-ship (STS) transfer was between mother vessels and daughter vessels, resulting from recent thunderstorms.
He also stated that the adverse weather condition also affected berthing at jetties, truck load-outs, and the transportation of products to filling stations, causing a disruption in station supply logistics.
“The NNPC Ltd. states that due to the flammability of petroleum products and in compliance with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) regulations, it was impossible to load petrol during rainstorms and lightning.
“Adherence to these regulations is mandatory, as any deviation could pose severe danger to the trucks, filling stations, and human lives.
“Similarly, the development was compounded by consequential flooding of truck routes, which has constrained the movement of PMS from the coastal corridors to the Federal Capital, Abuja.
“NNPC Ltd. is working with relevant stakeholders to resolve the logistics challenges and restore seamless supply of petrol to affected areas.
“Already, loading has commenced in areas where these challenges have subsided, and we are hoping that the situation will continue to improve in the coming days and full normalcy will be restored,” he stated.
