BOST uncovers adulteration of petroleum products at Kumasi depot

The Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) says it has discovered the adulteration of petroleum products at its depot in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

BOST, in a statement, said it made the discovery during its pre-discharge testing processes.

“As standard practise, products are tested to confirm their chemical composition before loading into trucks. Upon arrival at their destination, the same product testing is carried to ensure what was loaded onto the truck is what has been transported before discharge is permitted.”

“During the pre-discharge testing of product aboard a BRV, it was discovered through the basic test that the chemical composition of the product at the destination differed from what was loaded on the truck. BOST made a call for confirmation testing, which proved that the result of the basic test was correct: the product aboard the truck was adulterated,” the statement explained.

It has given the assurance that none of these adulterated products will find their way into its tanks and the market.

Adulteration of petroleum products entails the illegal introduction of foreign substances that could lead to non-compliance with standard specifications.

This consequently causes irreparable damage to engines, which could result in increased fuel consumption and a low fuel spraying rate in the combustion chamber.

According to BOST, The truck and its content are being held at a safe place whilst investigations continue.

“The driver of the truck is in custody, helping the investigative agencies to get to the bottom of the matter.
Further pre-discharge tests disclosed eight (8) more trucks had their contents adulterated. The drivers of these vehicles are nowhere to be found as we speak, but their respective trucks are being held pending the conclusion of the investigations. This brings the total number of trucks with adulterated contents to nine (9),” BOST added in the statement.

This development comes in the wake of the disappearance of fuel, product storage, and transfer losses at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).

The issues of the refinery came to light when TOR publicised its interdiction of some of its staff pending the conclusion of investigations into the disappearance of fuel, product storage, and transfer losses at the refinery.

The interdiction was part of the recommendations by an interim management committee, which was inaugurated in June 2021, to oversee the affairs of the company as part of the government’s efforts to restructure the company.

The investigations by the committee disclosed that there were a number of incidents related to product storage and transfer losses, including but not limited to the disappearance of 105,927 litres of gas oil on September 4, 2021.

In addition, there was also the disappearance of 18 drums of electrical cables worth GH¢10.4 million from the Technical Storehouse of TOR, which was discovered in April 2021.

The Minority has already called for a parliamentary inquiry into the incident.

Shortage claims 

BOST recently shot down claims of a shortage of fuel at its depots.

This followed media reports suggesting that some tanker drivers of the company had been rendered jobless for more than a year following the purported lack of fuel.

But BOST said the allegations are “unfounded” and that the company is in “safe hands”.

Source:Citinewsroom.com