The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has shut down a Shell fuel filling station at Atimpoku in the Eastern Region for selling contaminated petrol.

The move followed the circulation of a video on social media and subsequent complaint made to the NPA on August 29, 2022 about a suspected contaminated fuel purchased at the aforementioned retail outlet located close to the Adomi Bridge at Atimpoku.

In response, the NPA issued a press statement signed by the Corporate Affairs Directorate of the NPA stating its decision to shut the outlet.

“The National Petroleum Authoritv (NPA) has shut down the operations of the Shell Filling station at Adomi Bridge (Atimpoku) in the Eastern Region for selling water-laced petroleum product to unsuspecting customers.”
NPA

The NPA indicated in the statement that following the incident, a team from the Eastern Regional office of NPA was immediately dispatched to ascertain the veracity of the report.

“The team immediately undertook a water content presence test and a dip into the well of the outlet indicated the presence of water.”
NPA

Possible Cause of the Water Laced Petrol

Meanwhile, management has since given a probable explanation to the possible cause of the fuel being mixed with water.

“Management of Vivo Energy in a letter addressed to the Authority posited there was water ingress into the underground Super tank after a heavy downpour in the area which was corroborated by the investigative team sent by the Authority.”
NPA

However, NPA noted that a sample has been sent to the head office laboratory for further investigations with other segments going for forensic audit at the Ghana Standards Authority.

The Authority, meanwhile, assured all impacted customers whilst investigations are still ongoing that, “the NPA’s remedial action would be for the station to fix the affected vehicles and compensate the customers”.

“While we applaud the gesture of the customer who filmed the incident and shared on social media, we will encourage consumers of petroleum products to immediately call the NPA hotlines 0545006111/0545006112 or file the complaint on the NPA website immediately a suspected adulterated product has been purchased.

“The customer should report within 48hours: any delay after 48 hours risks the loss of evidence. The petroleum product in question could have been sold out or co-mingled with fresh like product.”
NPA

Meanwhile, the issue of contaminated or bad fuel being sold to the unsuspecting public is one of the most worrying phenomena in recent years in the country.

Recently, the police investigated some fuel filling stations for selling contaminated fuel to unsuspecting motorists.

The investigation uncovered hundreds of vehicles grounded after buying fuel at the Radiance Filling Station at Nyanyano, near Kasoa in the Gomoa East District in the Central Region; Glee Oil at Kasoa and Top Oil at Ashaiman Klagon in the Greater Accra Region. The investigations further revealed that more than 150 vehicles, mostly commercial, were grounded at Nyanyano alone after filling their tanks at the Radiance Station.