QUALITY ASSURANCE - National Petroleum Authority(NPA)

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Quality Assurance Directorate

The Quality Assurance Directorate is mandated to ensure the quality and integrity of petroleum products on the Ghanaian market. The directorate achieves this mandate by monitoring petroleum product quality at import points, refineries, depots and retail outlets nationwide. The Directorate also undertakes marking of petroleum products and field monitoring activities at points of consumption nationwide. The Quality Assurance Directorate is made up of the Quality Control (QC) and Petroleum Product Marking Scheme (PPMS) Departments.

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The Quality Assurance Directorate which effectively monitors the quality of petroleum products along the supply and distribution chain, has put in place measures to ensure that all petroleum products supplied and consumed in the country meet the National Standards/Specifications on quality.

The Quality Control(QC)Department

The responsibilities of the department are to;
1. Assess the quality of petroleum products supplied in Ghana in conformity to National Standards/specifications.
2. Investigate, on regular basis, the quality systems of petroleum service providers to ensure conformity with best practices and protocols.
3. Initiate and conduct investigations into standards of quality of petroleum products offered to consumers; and
4. Review Standards/Specification of petroleum quality and advice on best practices in conformity to the automobile needs and environmental impact.

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Laboratory analysis is conducted on a petroleum product before its discharge into any depot in the country. The result is reviewed in comparison to our National Standards for conformity before approval to berth and discharge is given to the respective importer (BIDEC/OTC) or their agents. The department also conducts quality verification of petroleum products in the market tanks of depots across the country.

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The QC department liaises with the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and relevant stakeholders to review and update all petroleum products standards and procedures such as:
#Inspecting and auditing laboratories and their respective testing methods to ensure conformity to international standards and practices.
#Standardizing petroleum additives on the local market.

The Petroleum Product Marking Scheme (PPMS) Department

The PPMS department provides a foundation for an effective quality monitoring system by introducing a bio-chemical (marker) in trace quantities into petroleum products after loading at all operational depots in the country. The marker is a unique identifier that aids in distinguishing the various types of petroleum products and exposes the addition, if any, of a foreign product. This is achieved by testing samples of petroleum products at all retail outlets & bulk consumers across the country with proprietary analytical devices which detect the presence or otherwise of the marker. The Legislative Instrument (LI) 2187 provides legal backing for the establishment, functions, and operations of the PPMS.

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Currently, Nationwide Technologies Limited (NTL) is the main contractor that undertakes the fuel marking activities in Ghana. NTL has a sub-contractual agreement with Authentix Inc which provides the technology and equipment.

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Field monitoring is conducted with the proprietary LSX3000 handheld detection equipment to monitor the concentration of markers in the petroleum products at retail outlets across the country. The LSX3000 equipment stores all data, in an encrypted form, and is tailored to restrict access and is transmitted in real-time to a cloud system. Due to the configuration of the machine, only individuals with the required credentials have access to the data for confirmatory results, intelligence, data mining, and maintenance of programme integrity.