Functions of Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) will be listed in this article and we hope you find it helpful and informative.
Department of Petroleum Resources Nigeria
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Before now in Nigeria, matters involving petroleum products and everything related to petrol were handled by the Ministry of Lagos Affairs through the hydrocarbon section, and the outcome of everything was reported to the Governor-General.
Part of what this unit did was to keep an adequate record of matters which involved the exploration and importation of petroleum products and to enforce and ensure safety on matters which were at that time product importation and distribution.
As time went on and activities involving petroleum expanded, the unit grew further to become a petroleum division within the Ministry of Mines and Power.
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However, in 1971, the Nigerian National Oil Corporation (NNOC) emerged on behalf of the Federal Government to directly handle the commercial operations in the oil industry but despite the emergence of the NNOC, the Department of Petroleum Resources kept on supervising and controlling the petroleum industry.
In 1975, after making tremendous progress, the department grew into a Ministry and the name changed to Ministry of Petroleum and Energy before it was later renamed to Ministry of Petroleum Resources, however, the Decree 33 of 1977 later merged both the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and The Nigerian National Oil Corporation and the merger was called Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The reason for the merging of both ministries was to make manpower adequate in the oil industry because, at that time, manpower was scarce in the industry.
The decree did not just merge the two ministries, it also created an integral part of NNPC called the ‘Petroleum Inspectorate’.
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The decree gave the Petroleum inspectorate the power to regulate the petroleum industry. Eight years later, in 1985, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources was established again while the Petroleum Inspectorate continued only as a part and within the NNPC.
In March of 1998 (three years later), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation was reorganized and the reorganization led to reorganization, the Petroleum Inspectorate being removed from the NNPC and it found a new dwelling as a Technical Unit in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
That was when it now bore the name Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR)
The DPR is the agency that is responsible for making sure that Petroleum laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines are adhered to and followed in the Oil and Gas industry.
Functions of Department of Petroleum Resources
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The Functions of Department of Petroleum Resources are as follows:
- They monitor the operational activities at oil drilling sites, oil production wells, production platforms, refineries, pump stations, retail outlets, export terminals, and other places that are interconnected with oil.
- They supervise the petroleum industry operations that are carried out under license and lease within the country.
- They are in charge of Maintaining and administering the National Data Repository (NDR).
- They monitor the Petroleum Industry operations and ensure that everything is in line with the national goals and aspirations as those that relate to the flare-down and domestic gas supply responsibilities.
- They keep records of petroleum-related matters.
- The process of application for a lease, license, and permits.
- They advise the government on issues relating to the Petroleum industry.
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The Functions of the Department of Petroleum Resources are not limited to the ones listed in this article.