These Are The Duties And Functions Of Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR)

The DPR also known as the petroleum police is the popular acronym for the Department of Petroleum Resources. This is a department under the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resource (FMPR), responsible for matters dealing with exploration and importation of petroleum products. The department is in charge of health, safety and environmental regulations in the trade of petroleum products in Nigeria.

The real purpose why the department of petroleum resources was established was to explore petroleum products in Nigeria and to also import these petroleum products.

Also, DPR has the statutory responsibility of ensuring compliance to petroleum laws, regulations and guidelines in the Oil and Gas Industry. The discharge of these responsibilities involves monitoring of operations at drilling sites, producing wells, production platforms and flow stations, crude oil export terminals, refineries, storage depots, pump stations, retail outlets, any other locations where petroleum is either stored or sold and all pipelines carrying crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products, while carrying out the following functions, among others.

Timeline And History of DPR

In the beginning, Petroleum matters were handled by the Hydrocarbon Section of the Ministry of Lagos Affairs, which reported directly to the Governor-General.

The Unit kept records on matters relating to exploration, and importation of petroleum products. It also enforced safety and other regulations on matters which were then mostly products importation and distribution. As the activities of the petroleum industry expanded, the Unit was upgraded to a Petroleum Division within the Ministry of Mines and Power.

However, in 1971, a new body was formed to take charge of commercial and operational activities in the oil industry and given jurisdiction under the federal government. The Department of petroleum resources continued to supervise the activities of the industry

In 1975, the department was upgraded to a ministry and was called the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. It was later renamed the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

Under decree 33 of 1977, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources was merged with the Nigerian National Oil Corporation (NNOC) to form the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). This was done as a means to manage the problem of scarce manpower in the oil industry at the time. The decree also established the petroleum industry as a part of the NNPC. The NNPC was also entrusted with regulating the industry.

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In 1985, The Ministry of Petroleum Resources was re-established although the petroleum inspectorate remained a part of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. This was until March 1988 when the NNPC was reorganised. This meant that the Petroleum Inspectorate was removed from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and moved to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. It was to be the technical arm and also to be called the DPR (Department of Petroleum Resources).

Functions of DPR

The DPR is enabled by the constitution to ensure compliance to the petroleum regulations, guidelines and laws in the Oil and gas industry. This includes supervising all operations at drilling sites, oil wells, platforms and flow stations, refineries, pump stations, export terminals, retail outlets and any other location where petroleum is traded or stored. This also includes all pipelines carrying petroleum products, natural gas and crude oil. Other functions of the Department are

(i) Supervising all Petroleum Industry operations being carried out under licences and leases in the country.

(ii) Monitoring the Petroleum Industry operations to ensure that are in line with national goals and aspirations including those relating to Flare down and Domestic Gas Supply Obligations.

(iii) Ensuring that Health Safety& Environment regulations conform with national and international best oil field practice.

(iv) Maintaining records on petroleum industry operations, particularly on matters relating to petroleum reserves, production/exports, licences and leases.

(v) Advising Government and relevant Government agencies on technical matters and public policies that may have impact on the administration and petroleum activities.

(vi) Processing industry applications for leases, licences and permits.

(vii) Ensure timely and accurate payments of Rents, Royalties and other revenues due to government.

• Regulate Oil and Gas activities
• Conserve  Nigeria’s Hydrocarbon Resources
• Optimize government take in Oil and Gas activities
• Ensure compliance with Health Safety & Environment (HSE) Standards
• Maintain and administer the National Data Repository (NDR)
• Administer Oil and Gas  acreages and concessions
• Implement government policies on Upstream Oil and Gas matters.

ROLES OF DPR – DOWNSTREAM

Those activities which take place between the field transfer of Crude Oil and loading at the export terminal as well as the use of the Oil by the end-user. This encompasses the ocean transportation of Crude Oil, Supply and Trading, Refining, Distribution and Marketing of the Oil products.

The roles are…

• Issue approvals and licences for Refineries, Petrochemicals, Fertilizer Plants, Jetties, Depots, Lube blending and Retail Outlet
• Ensure prompt nomination of crude, condensate & NGL export vessels
• Ensure integrity of downstream Oil and Gas facilities and pipeline systems
• Ensure measurement integrity at custody transfer points
• Issue import permit and clearance for petroleum products
• Issue export permits for crude oil and petroleum products
• Determine the quality of imported petroleum products to ensure they meet established standards.
• Implement government policies on Upstream Oil and Gas matters.

• Regulate  Gas activities
• Conserve  Nigeria’s Hydrocarbon Resources
• Optimize government take in Gas activities
• Ensure compliance with Health Safety & Environment (HSE) Standards
• Administer  Gas  acreages and concessions
• Implement government policies on Gas matters.