Renthia Kaimbi
Botswana Oil Limited (BOL) denies that it received substandard fuel imported through the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor).
This follows reports which stated that BOL had raised concerns about the quality of ULP95 purchased from Namibia.
Emails seen by The Namibian indicated that Botswana Oil notified Namcor on 11 January that seven trucks loaded at the Namcor terminal in Walvis Bay on 5 and 7 January “do not meet product specification”.
Routine tests reportedly showed the fuel fell outside acceptable limits for octane rating (RON).
In a statement circulated on social media on Thursday, Botswana Oil said no off-specification fuel entered its storage or supply chain.
“Botswana Oil Limited (BOL) imports petroleum products from various suppliers… BOL has a comprehensive internal quality assurance process that is applied across the entire fuel supply chain,” BOL stated.
BOL said that when the fuel arrived from Namibia, initial screening raised concerns.
It isolated and quarantined the consignment. Samples were sent to an accredited laboratory in South Africa for further testing.
“The products that were confirmed to meet the required specifications were accordingly accepted into storage. Any product that does not meet specifications is flagged with the relevant stakeholders and the due process is followed in line with regulatory requirements,” the release added.
Botswana Oil said it informed the Ministry of Minerals and Energy and the Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority as a precaution. It also stated that it has not received complaints of engine damage or performance problems linked to the fuel supplied from Namibia.
Reports in Namibia suggested that the fuel in question came from the tanker MT Zahra, which discharged cargo at the Namcor facility on 4 January.
A second tanker, MT Ulysses I, which arrived on 8 January, reportedly met all specifications.
Namcor has rejected claims that it supplied substandard fuel.
Namcor’s interim managing director, Maureen Hinda-Mbuende, told the Windhoek Observer that the transaction was handled by an international trading house.
“The Botswana Oil import from Namibia was from Vitol, and they can speak for their quality. Bots Oil confirmed that they procure from Vitol and not Namcor,” said Hinda.
“We are happy with Bots Oil confirmation and hope the result will close the subject matter.”
Vitol operates in Namibia through its subsidiary Vivo Energy, which distributes Shell-branded fuels, and through Validus, which trades and imports refined products.
Namcor spokesperson Utaara previously said the product from MT Zahra met specifications before discharge.
He said quality certification was received and standard tests were conducted. He added that other clients who bought fuel from the same source have not reported problems.
Hoveya questioned the timeline of the complaint. He said that although the issue was reported between 5 and 7 January, the same client continued to collect shipments.
He also noted that definitive octane testing equipment is not available in Namibia or Botswana, and samples must be sent to Intertek in Durban for final validation.
Sources within Namcor claim the reports form part of a smear campaign against the company.
