By Dangote Lauds NUPRC Intervention….
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has been commended for its interventions in the crude oil supply business.
The Management of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), which gave the kudos also thanked NUPRC for its role in requesting from International Oil Companies (IOCs), to publish the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation (DCSO) guidelines to enshrine transparency in the oil industry.
Vice President, Oil & Gas, Dangote Industries Limited, Mr. DVG Edwin however said: “If the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation (DCSO) guidelines are diligently implemented, this will ensure that we deal directly with the companies producing the crude oil in Nigeria as stipulated by the PIA.”
Edwin stated that IOCs operating in Nigeria have consistently frustrated the company’s requests for locally produced crude as feedstock for its refining process.
He highlighted that when cargoes are offered to the oil company by the trading arms, it is sometimes at $2-$4 (per barrel) premium above the official price set by NUPRC.
He explained that “we paid $96.23 per barrel for a cargo of Bonga crude grade in April (excluding transport). The price consisted of $90.15 dated brent price + $5.08 NNPC premium (NSP) + $1 trader premium. In the same month we were able to buy WTI at a dated brent price of $90.15 + $0.93 trader premium including transport. When NNPC subsequently lowered its premium based on market feedback that it was too high, some traders then started asking us for a premium of up to $4m over and above the NSP for a cargo of Bonny Light”
He added: “Data on platforms like Platts and Argus shows that the price offered to us is way higher than the market prices tracked by these platforms. We recently had to escalate this to NUPRC”, Edwin said, and urged the regulatory commission to take a second look at the issue of pricing.”
Edwin’s response came against the background of a statement by the Chief Executive Officer of NUPRC, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, who in an interview on ARISE News TV said that “it is ‘erroneous’ for one to say that the International Oil Companies (IOCs) are refusing to make crude oil available to domestic refiners, as the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) has a stipulation that calls for a willing buyer-willing seller relationship.”
Edwin noted that, “The NUPRC has been very supportive to the Dangote Refinery as they have intervened several times to help us secure crude supply. However, the NUPRC Chief Executive was probably misquoted by some people hence his statement that IOCs did not refuse to sell to us. To set the records straight, we would like to recap the facts below.
“Aside from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), to date we have only purchased crude directly from only one other local producer (Sapetro). All other producers refer us to their international trading arms.
“These international trading arms are non-value adding middlemen who sit abroad and earn margin from crude being produced and consumed in Nigeria. They are not bound by Nigerian laws and do not pay tax in Nigeria on the unjustifiable margin they earn.
“The trading arm of one of the IOCs refused to sell to us directly and asked us to find a middleman who will buy from them and then sell to us at a margin. We dialogued with them for 9 months and in the end, we had to escalate to NUPRC who helped resolve the situation,” Edwin stated.
According to him, when we entered the market to purchase our crude requirement for August, the international trading arms told us that they had entered their Nigerian cargoes into a Pertamina (the Indonesia National Oil Company) tender, and we had to wait for the tender to conclude to see what is still available.
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