Foreign Exchange Crisis, Distribution Hiccups Driving Fuel Price Increase.. Jude Nwaulune, MD Rainoil Logistics

Worried by current situation in the downstream sector of the oil and gas, in Nigeria , operators at the ongoing OTL Africa downstream energy week which comes to close this Thursday have affirmed that the present foreign exchange crisis (FX) including difficulties in the local distribution channel are major factors pushing up the cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol
While adding his voice to the issue, Jude Nwaulune, Managing Director of Rainoil Logistics said the landing cost of the product according to the company’s current estimation is about N580 towards the Calabar end.
He made this known while speaking on a panel session at the Oil Trading and Logistics (OTL) Africa Week 2023 in Lagos with the theme,’ Africa Fuels update -overview of trends and market development’.
Nwaulune said: “The realities have been alluded here from the FX point of view, basically sourcing from the parallel market, which most marketers are enforced to.

“Taking a look at our operational bases, landing PMS in Lagos is around N565. We take it towards Oghara end, it’s about N570 and towards the Calabar end, it’s equally within the N580 range.”

Rainoil’s boss said that independent marketers are having difficulties breaking even in their operations since the removal of fuel subsidy and the emergence of the foreign exchange crisis.

“You find a situation where it’s unaffordable (to land petrol and distribute it to the pump). In this chain, the independents are beginning to miss from the chain.

“So, it’s huge cost taking it from the depot end to the pump is a whole lot of challenge.”

As we speak , most independent can’t afford the product, at the moment there seems to be a beat scarcity and along the chain also , you will see that cost of transportation has increased, diesel is about one thousand naira per liter .
Speaking on energy transition , he called for more investment in CNG and other cleaner fuel as the country has adopted Gas as its transition fuel. He said with the proven enormous gas reserve , it is huge enough for stakeholders to make more investment that can catalyze the economy.
He called on the government to ensure the enormous challenges confronting the country such as insecurity, asset vandalisation and community unrest is well handled, although the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIA) is addressing it.
He noted that sanctity of contract is another issue bedeviling the industry and hampering investors. The government should ensure that Nigeria is seen as an investment destination with sanctity of contract, virile fiscal and commercial framework to unlock its gas industry.
He submitted that “We have to unlock the supply side and creating sustainable supply and demand that make the gas sector works.”

Also he called on government to remove all local transaction that are being priced in US dollars, he noted that the removal will help the industry grow ,looking the current economic indices of the country.
Earlier in the month, it was noted that many petroleum product depots have been deserted due to a lack of supplies caused by currency volatility.
Oil marketers indicated that filling stations were closing down in huge numbers on a daily basis because the industry was getting increasingly difficult to maintain. According to them, this could lead to widespread petrol scarcity in the coming months.
Other persons who spoke on the panel include Adenike Labinjo, COO Pinnacle oil and gas, Lawal Sade ,MD NNPC trading ltd, James Gooder, Vice president, Argus Media, Maryro mendez , Refining and Refined products senior research analyst , at Vitol etc.