DPR tackles operational hazards in downstream oil sector

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), has raised serious concern over high rate of accidents in the downstream oil and gas industry leading to the introduction of the Minimum industry safety training for Downstream operations (MISTDO).

The Agency reiterates that the exercise is a compulsory program introduced to safeguard operations in the downstream sector of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

The MISTDO program covers Depots, Petrol Stations, Product pipelines, LPG plants and Petroleum Trucks, according to the head of Public Affairs of DPR,  Paul Osu.

The program, which was launched following extensive collaborations with relevant stakeholders including IPMAN, was a direct response to upsurge in Downstream sector accidents and operational mishaps leading  to high casualty and fatality rates averaging 54 fatalities yearly within a 5/year period.

The objectives  of MISTDO amongst others, include to enforce and standardize basic training for Downstream workers and to provide industry reference for prospective trainees.

The program requires robust accreditation of training centres for existing workers and new entrants into the Downstream sector, where successful trainees are issued a certificate valid for two years at a negotiated cost between the trainees and the certified training centres.

DPR also noted that it does not charge the trainees for the MISTDO program.

To further ensure transparency of operations between the training centres and trainees, DPR made it mandatory for trainers to publish their cost of providing training on the MISTDO portal managed by DPR

The DPR restated that as the regulatory agency, it will continue to provide robust oversight for safety of operations in the the Nigerian oil and gas industry in line with global best practices to ensure buisness sustainability.