Saltpond offshore company says declines to buy suspected stolen crude oil
Saltpond Offshore Producing Company (SOPCL), a Ghanaian-owned oil producing company, declined to purchase fuel suspected to have been siphoned from MT COTTON, a diesel fuel tanker, hijacked by pirates off Port Gentil, Gabon.
The Ghana Navy in a joint operation with National Security intercepted and arrested the crew of MT MUSTARD, a diesel fuel supply tanker, suspected to have been used to siphon fuel from MT COTTON on or about July 14, 2013.
SOPCL had been approached to purchase the 3,500 metric tons of diesel for its bunkering – running of generators on its facilities but declined because the source of the fuel could not be established.
When the GNA asked Mr Quincy Sintim Aboagye, Chief Executive Officer of SOPCL, to comment on the arrest of MT MUSTARD, he said “it headed for an offshore facility in Saltpond”.
He said that SOPCL bought its fuel from a fuel supply company based in Tema.
MT MUSTARD entered Ghanaian waters and first docked at the Tema Port anchorage, following which, it headed for an offshore facility in Saltpond.
The Navy in collaboration with national security intercepted the vessel, and the Bureau of National Investigations is currently investigation the matter.
Source: GNA