The Department of Petroleum Resources has released guidelines for the establishment and operations of downstream gas facilities.

It issued guidelines for the establishment and operations of Liquefied Petroleum Gas refilling plants and retail outlets, for establishment of autogas refuelling stations and add-on gas facility, as well as for the establishment of gas storage and utilisation.

The Director of Petroleum Resources, DPR, Sarki Auwalu, said the guidelines had the minimum requirements, procedures and conditions to be fulfilled before the grant of approvals or licences for the construction, installation, modification, takeover, relocation and operations of downstream gas facilities in Nigeria.

He said in a statement issued by DPR that the guidelines were developed to enhance gas penetration and utilisation, enhance operational safety as well as ease of doing business in the oil and gas sector.

Auwalu said companies intending to establish these facilities must satisfy all necessary requirements stipulated by DPR and obtain the applicable approvals.

He outlined some the applicable approvals to include site suitability approval, Approval to Construct/Approval to Install and Licence to Operate.

He said necessary amenities such as automated/manual leak tester, fire alarm system, mounted gas detectors, adequate fire water storage and sprinklers, perimeter fence with firewall, among others, must be provided in the facilities.

The DPR director stated that the objective of the guidelines was to ensure that the baseline standard regarding health, safety and environment was achieved and maintained in all the facilities.