The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has officially commenced full operation at its new office in Awka, Anambra.

Mr Ignatius Anyanwu, DPR’s Operations Controller in Awka, said in Awka on Tuesday that the office was created in the last quarter of 2018.

Anyanwu said the department set up the Anambra office in view of the high level of activities in the oil and gas downstream in the state.

He said the new office would ease business for operators in the state and improve their activities as they would no longer need to go to Enugu for issues bothering on their businesses.

“ Investors will no longer need to go to Enugu for documentation; so there will be lots of time and money saved.

“Before now, it was Enugu and Abia Sates with Owerri as the zonal office that DPR operated from; now Anambra has been added to the number of states with offices in the South East.

“Now, we are fully established and we have commenced full operations in Awka office .

“There is a lot of activities in the downstream sector here in Anambra with considerable number of retail outlets spread across the state.

“So far, so good. I will say some of the operators are complying with our regulations; our presence will improve the overall activity in the sector,” he said.

Anyanwu urged players in the sector to shun sharp practices as the agency would not tolerate fleecing of customers under any guise.

He said the department was embarking on comprehensive mapping of the state to enable it to have proper surveillance and monitoring.

“l advise operators to check their facility regularly, service their machines and ensure that they dispense products according to standards; they can also come for assistance in case of difficulty.

“We have come to improve their business and not to chase them around. Currently we are on comprehensive surveillance of the PMS and LPG retail outlets in the state,” he said.