Nigeria, Ghana, others mull fuel standardisation across sub-region

West African countries have been urged to align fuel specifications, strengthen testing capacity, address infrastructure gaps and improve enforcement systems to facilitate more effective regional petroleum trade.

This was the submission of petroleum regulators that spoke during a panel session at the 20th OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week that ended in Lagos, yesterday.

The regulators also agreed that inconsistencies in standards across the region remain a huge disservice to fair competition. Therefore, they submitted, putting in place an acceptable standard will ensure a harmonised fuel quality, improve infrastructure and stronger regulatory coordination which will facilitate cross-border trade and reduce market barriers across the region.

Speaking at the session themed: “Regulatory Convergence in African Oil and Gas Markets,” the Authority Chief Executive (ACE), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Rabiu Umar, argued that differences in fuel specifications across countries made it difficult to compare products and ensure fair competition.

For instance, he explained that the disparity between diesel specifications of 50 parts per million (ppm) and 1,500 ppm, presents a complication in efforts to harmonise standards across the region.

To this end, the ACE said the sub regional countries needed common product specifications and coordinated production rules to facilitate trade and promote competition.

Umar also advocated the establishment of a West African reference price for petroleum products, saying regional markets needed to strengthen trade among African producers.

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Godwin Tameklo, said that inadequate infrastructure was a major constraint to regional petroleum trade.

According to him, countries needed to address infrastructure gaps, regulatory differences and market constraints to improve the cross-border movement of petroleum products.

For instance, he disclosed that Ghana’s port and storage facilities could not always accommodate volumes delivered by larger vessels, forcing operators to consider smaller shipments or alternative arrangements.

Tameklo also stressed the need for clear implementation timelines to ensure that regional harmonisation initiatives translated into practical results.

In similar vein, the Director of Water, Petroleum and Electricity at The Gambia’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), Musa Njie, highlighted the importance of laboratory facilities in testing petroleum product quality.

Njie identified the absence of a laboratory for petroleum product testing as one of the challenges facing The Gambia, and stressed the need to strengthen national quality assurance systems.

He said that harmonisation efforts should protect public health and the environment while improving market efficiency.

Njie also called for stronger coordination between regional frameworks and national regulatory institutions to ensure effective implementation of agreed standards.

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