Monrovia – The Capital Vessel carrying 10MT ( 3,500,000 gals) of gasoline berth at the LPRC jetty Saturday, in what is seen as a major step toward easing consumers worries about an apparent gasoline shortage in Liberia.
Mrs. Marie Urey-Coleman, Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company(LPRC) told FrontPageAfrica Saturday that additional vessels are scheduled to berth tomorrow and mid next week.
Conex is the main importer of the latest shipment of petroleum product. According to the LPRC, some 6,000 Metric Tonnes will be delivered at the LPRC storage facility while the balance will be stored at Conex.
It can be recalled the Petroleum Importers Association of Liberia and the LPRC Management recently dismissed suggestions of a looming gasoline shortage, a fear that has seen scores of vehicles lined up at filling stations across the country.
Mrs. Esther Neufville, CEO of the Nexium Petroleum Limited and Vice President of the Importers Association told FPA recently that importers had enough petroleum products on the ground and more on the way. “We have product on ground to last until the first vessel arrive. However, stockpiling of gasoline in our homes are unsafe and could also reduce product availability.”
In addition to the vessel already on ground and the ones due in tomorrow, additional fuel by Petro Trade is expected on the E-Ship Barracuda Vessel set to arrive with 8 ,000mt while another St. Stena Immaculate with 30 metric tonnes of mix product brought in by Conex, Aminata and Nexium petroleum is due to arrive between April 3 -5, 2020. Other importers are also scheduled to bring products later this month.
Despite the arrival of vessels, filling stations continue to experience long lines but importers say, those lines will ease up in the coming days as fuel and gasoline stations are disbursed to various stations across the country.