The development is coming at a time the Federal Government is positioning gas as an alternative to Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol.
Director of DPR, Sarki Auwalu, stated yesterday that the guidelines stipulated the minimum requirement for approvals or licences for the construction, installation, modification, take-over, relocation and operation of downstream gas facilities.
Under the new guidelines, investors would be compelled to present Site Suitability Approval, Approval to Construct/Approval to Instal and Licence to Operate in addition to necessary requirements by the department.
This is coming after a number of gas explosions, which claimed lives and properties as well as left catastrophic environmental issues.
According to Auwalu, the guidelines will ensure that the baseline standard regarding HSE is achieved and maintained in all the facilities.
On the latest gas explosion in Lagos, Auwal said preliminary reports from DPR investigation revealed that the facility was operating without a licence and carrying out illegal operations that resulted in the unfortunate incident.
He promised that DPR would continue to update the public on the progress of its investigation into the incident while assuring collaboration with stakeholders to ensure the safety of oil and gas facilities in the country.
