The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has opened an office in Awka and warned operators in the oil and gas (downstream) in Anambra to play by the rules or face sanctions

The Operations Controller at the DPR office in Awka Mr. Ignatius Anyanwu said in an interview that the agency had commenced full operations in the state.

He said the office was created in the last quarter of 2018 in view of the high activity in the oil and gas downstream subsector in the state.

It will be recalled that the chairman of elders consultative forum of Host Communities of Nigeria (HOSCON) Igwe Emeka Ilouno claimed that the pressure to include Anambra among oil-producing communities forced DPR to establish a branch at Awka.

Anyanwu said the operations at the new office would ease business environment for operators in the state and improve their activities as they would no longer need to go to Enugu for DPR related issues which were crucial to them.

He added: “Before now, it was Enugu and Abia states with Owerri as the zonal office, now Anambra has been added to the number of states with offices in the South East.

“Now, we are fully established and we have commenced full operations in the Awka office.
“There is a lot of activity in the downstream sector here in Anambra with a considerable number of retail outlets spread across the state.

“So far so good, I would say some of the operators are complying with our regulations, our presence will improve the overall activity in the sector.

“ Investors will no longer need to go to Enugu for documentation, so there will lots of time and money saved,” he said.

Anyanwu urged players in oil and gas sector to shun sharp practices as the agency would not tolerate fleecing of customers under any guise.

He said the DPR was embarking on comprehensive surveillance of the state to enable it to have a good mapping for proper surveillance and monitoring.

“ Operators should check their facility regularly, service their machines and ensure that you are dispensing according to standards; they can come to also for assistance in the case of difficulty.

“We haves come to improve their business and not to chase them around. Presently we are on comprehensive surveillance of the PMS and LPG retail outlets in the state,” he concluded