Cooking gas depots run dry, operators await vessel

Against the backdrop of the drop in the supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, popularly known as cooking gas, most depots in Lagos have run out of stock, our correspondent has learnt.

It was reported on Monday that the supply shortfall in Lagos had led to an increase in the retail price of the commodity, raising fears of an imminent scarcity in the state and many parts of the country.

The Nigeria LNG Limited, which is based in Port Harcourt, uses a vessel to deliver cooking gas to Lagos at least twice in a month and buyers take the commodity to different parts of the country through trucks.

Several industry operators, including the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, Mr Bassey Essien, told our correspondent on Monday that the vessel had not brought the commodity to Lagos this month.

They said the vessel would likely arrive in Lagos on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The spokesperson for NLNG, Sophia Horsfall, had told our correspondent on Friday that the company delivered 12,000 metric tonnes to the Navgas terminal in Apapa, Lagos on October 15, adding, “Our next delivery for about the 10th of November will be to NOJ terminal in Lagos.”

She said the company commenced delivery to Stockgap Terminal in Port Harcourt last month following the conclusion of technical approval processes required to deliver product to it.

Last week, the NLNG, in a letter seen by our correspondent, assured off-takers that the inclusion of the terminal would not adversely impact on its Lagos buyers.

It said, “We also recommenced deliveries to the Navgas terminal in September following resolution of some operational challenges, which creates more avenues for NLNG to deliver volumes into Lagos.

“So as it stands now, we will be delivering volumes to Lagos and Port Harcourt; so our deliveries will be shared across NOJ, Navgas and Stockgap terminals.”