The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has sealed 19 illegal Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) and category D cooking gas outlets in Delta State.

Speaking with newsmen on Tuesday in Warri, Victor Ohwodiasa, the Coordinator of NMDPRA in Delta, stated that the illegal gas outlets were sealed within the past two weeks. The affected locations included Orerokpe, Ogwashi-Ukwu, and Warri, along with its environs.

Reasons for Closure

The category D class of LPG operators are those within localities that refill gas from licensed gas plants for customers. According to Ohwodiasa, the illegal gas outlets were shut due to violations, including the lack of requisite approvals and the operation of facilities in unsafe locations.

“During the operations, about 28 illegal outlets were identified. We attempted to regularize them, but many were wrongly sited,” Ohwodiasa said.

“One outlet in Ogwashi-Ukwu, a five-metric-tonne refilling plant, was constructed on a roadside close to high-tension cables. The authority deemed the environment hazardous, sealed the facility, and issued an immediate relocation order.”

Other offenders were engaged in “decanting,” a process where gas is transferred from one cylinder to another, which is strictly prohibited.

“What they are expected to do is ‘bottle swap’—bring an empty cylinder and exchange it for a filled one,” he emphasized.

Government’s Commitment to Safety

The regulatory authority stressed that the exercise was not meant to frustrate small-scale gas business owners but to ensure their operations were conducted safely.

Ohwodiasa appealed to landlords not to allocate property to LPG category D operators intending to conduct illegal business, as improperly managed gas outlets pose serious fire hazards.

“Imagine someone storing cooking gas near a welding operation or an open flame from frying beans cake or roasting corn. A leakage in such a setting could have catastrophic consequences,” he warned.

Enforcement and Legal Action

Ohwodiasa assured that the exercise would continue in the state and that violators would face legal consequences. Any operator who refuses to relocate would be handed over to security agencies for prosecution.

He urged the public to report illegal gas transfers to NMDPRA, stating, “Help us to serve you better.”

The NMDPRA has been actively sensitizing operators through annual stakeholder engagements, radio, and television jingles to educate the public on safe gas handling practices.

The coordinator also expressed gratitude to the Chief Executive of NMDPRA, Ahmed Faruok, for his consistent support in ensuring effective regulation and enforcement in Delta State.