GEA Fuel marking programme significantly reduces illegal fuel storage

 Georgetown : The Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) this morning disclosed that during last year the Fuel Marking Programme sampled and tested fuel in all areas of Guyana found some 24, 329 samples analysed and 21,000 gallons of fuel were seized.

Of the 24,329 samples analysed during 2010, significantlevels of adulteration (defined as more than 50%) were detected in 2% of the samples analysed.  Further, from 2006 to 2010, the percentage of sites found with significant dilution in at least one tank has progressively decreased from 34% in 2006 to 3% in 2010.

The data suggests that either fewer sites are dealing in illegal fuel or that illegal fuel is no longer stored on sites.  GEA believes their Fuel Marking Programme is contributing to a reduction in the number of sites dealing with illegal fuel.  Taking into consideration that more sites were visited, and more samples were collected and analysed, a similar number of incidents of illegal fuel were detected, and that less fuel was seized in 2010 than in 2009, one can infer that this is a measure of the sustained effectiveness of the Fuel Marking Programme.