National Petroleum Authority, Ghana

Currently, there is a lot of talk, discussions and debate on adulteration and contamination of petroleum products in Ghana in various media. The discourse has been characterized in some cases by emotional outbursts and the pointing of fingers, and rightly so, at the suspected culprits and in some cases at state agencies that are supposed to have an oversight role in the petroleum industry. The cost of adulteration and contamination in terms of damage to fuel pumps, engines and other equipment borne by innocent motorists and consumers of petroleum products is quite high. It is therefore necessary to analyse the problem carefully with a view to finding a lasting solution to the menace, whilst allowing the law to deal drastically with offenders.

Adulteration and ContaminationBut what is adulteration of petroleum products? This is a conscious effort to contaminate a petroleum product. The motive is usually driven by gain. Due to the gain incentive, this obnoxious practice is perfected to an art. However, contamination may occur due to rusty storage equipment, poor handling, improper sanitizing of storage vessels, leakages, formation of chemical compounds, etc. Improper sanitization occurs when a tanker that was used to transport a particular product is made to carry a different product without proper washing prior to the second carriage. Chemical compounds may form when ambient conditions like temperature, pressure, humidity, etc, are favourable for a chemical reaction to take place. Of course, considering the extreme weather conditions of high humidity and elevated temperatures pervasive in our part of the world, the creation of favourable ambient conditions is commonplace.

Some of the arguments put forward in the debate on adulteration and contamination of petroleum products centre on the perception that the gross margin allowed the fuel filling stations and the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) are relatively small, compared to the totality of various levies or duties that go to the Government and its agencies. However, granted that perception was real, there is no justification for that action. What needs to be done is for the OMCS and the filling stations owners to sit with the Government, the NPA and the relevant agencies to discuss the issue of margins. Due to current competition among the OMCs and the filling stations in their bid to sell higher volumes of petroleum products, margins be even be lower. In the case of adulteration, the practice hinges around mixing a low cost product with a relatively high cost product in order to sell the resultant mixture at a higher price for an illegal gain. Some classical cases of adulteration involves mixing kerosene and gas oil and adding a product of lower octane number to one with a relatively high octane number with a view to selling the resultant mixture at the higher-octane price.

Analysed samplesRecently, some analysed suspected contaminated petroleum product samples revealed the presence of water. However, after separation and further analysis, the petrol portions met the requirements of the standard. Other premium and gas oil samples showed traces of black sediments identified to be iron oxide (rust). The presence of water may be caused by seepage of water through rusted parts of buried underground tanks that hold petroleum products. In such cases, the water table may be relatively higher than the depth of the tanks.

Effect of microbial action on stored productsContamination of stored petroleum products by microbial action presents another problem and concern in the refining industry. This problem leads to deterioration of product quality, formation of sludge and deterioration of pipework and storage tanks both in the refinery and at the demand side. To comprehend the nettle of microbial action, it is pertinent to undertake basic analysis of the refining of crude. The refining process can be divided into four phases – separation, cracking, chemical reactions such as polymerization or alkylation, and blending. It must be stated upfront that the processes used in fuel production affect the composition of the final product, which, in turn, impacts on its susceptibility to microbial contamination. In the case of premium, the range of the carbon chain lengths present in the product has an effect on the growth of microorganisms. Thus, the lower molecular weight compounds may be contaminated due to the solvent effect on cell membranes. However, it is apparent that many of the allowed additives (e.g., surface active agents) could act as nutrient sources for microorganisms, whilst others like the anti-knock compounds and sulfur-containing compounds may have a marginal inhibitory effect.

Whereas efforts have been made in the past to reduce the sulphur content of petroleum products to improve its characteristics, low sulphur content can allow enhanced microbial activity. Furthermore, a variety of additives that are used to improve the stability of the fuel can act as a nutrient source for microorganisms. Diesel is the fuel that suffers from the most varied microbial contamination problems.
Even in best-kept tanks, microbial contamination is an infrequent problem. Whilst microorganisms are normally present in the fuel, good housekeeping (removal of water and use of biocides) minimizes their growth. Elsewhere, reports of microbial growth in fuel tanks have increased within the last three decades and the holding of strategic reserves for long periods has always been problematic. The most important requirement for microbial growth in fuels is water.

Control of Microbial Contamination
The best control treatment of microbial biodeterioration of materials is prevention. To ensure that problems are minimal, there must be frequent drainage of water in tanks and general observation of cleanliness. However, these standards are difficult to maintain in practice and it is not infrequent that storage systems have to be emptied for thorough cleaning including the use of biocides. Internal coating of tanks may avoid induced corrosion in the tanks. Nevertheless, cathodic protection – an expensive option – is increasingly being used. Cathodic protection is also used to combat corrosion, sometimes in addition to resistant coatings. Without adequate drainage, microbial slimes and sludges are likely to form in fuel systems and hence recourse to biocides may be necessary.

Measures to reduce Adulteration and Contamination
To minimize the incidence of adulteration and contamination of petroleum products, various checks and balances must be put in place at all levels of the petroleum products industry. In fact consumer education must be enhanced to empower the former to scrutinize the products and the processes involved in the value chain. This will enable consumers to be vigilant and to report all suspected cases of adulteration and contamination. The Standards Board need to be equipped to be able to test both the chemical and physical processes involved in the petroleum products industry. The capacity of the NPA must be enhanced to allow it to properly execute its monitoring, oversight and regulatory functions effectively. The scrutiny in the industry must start from the refining process through the load bay to the pump and retail outlets. The various petroleum products must be colour-coded and mechanisms need to be emplaced for consumers to view the product before purchase. For instance, at the filling stations, motorists must be able to view the products before getting their tanks filled.

Penalties, including outright withdrawal and suspension of licences must be meted out to offenders who abuse the products for gain. In future, the issue of licences to operate filling stations need to be rationalized to avoid putting too many stations in a particular area. This will assist to minimize unhealthy competition that may lead to adulteration to make up for potential decrease in profits. The OMCs and filling station mangers need to inspect their equipment periodically to ensure that formation of rust, leakages and formation of microorganisms, which lead to adverse microbial action are eliminated or reduced to the barest minimum. Proper protocols of moving products from one level to the other must be emplaced and observed. This will allow quick detection of abuse in the industry. Tracking systems need to be fixed to all tankers to monitor the transportation of products. This will forestal abuse among tanker drivers. In dealing with products that are very susceptible to any trace of foreign material, great care must be taken to ensure that every part of the value chain is scrutinised well to eliminate or reduce contamination to the barest minimum.