‘Gas cylinders to be fitted with shrink caps to prevent tampering’

ZARQA — Gas cylinders sold in Jordan will be fitted with heat-shrinkable capsules (shrink caps) as of early 2015 to prevent any attempts to tamper with their content, according to the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company (JPRC).

“After the installation of the new capsules it will be very difficult for those who want to cheat people to do so, as some gas distributors currently manipulate the quantities of gas sold to customers,” Mohammad Maharmeh, head of the JPRC gas department, told The Jordan Times on Monday.

Several cases were reported involving gas distributors who break the current capsules, transfer gas from one cylinder to another, thus making more money by selling less gas to customers, which is illegal.

“The new capsules will help prevent such practices, because if any one tampers with the cylinders or tries to open one, the capsule will break into small pieces,” Maharmeh said during a tour of the refinery by Energy Minister Mohammad Hamed to check on preparedness for the cold season.

He added that the number of gas cylinders available in the market is sufficient, noting that 100,000 new gas cylinders will arrive from Turkey in two weeks, while 50,000 are in Aqaba pending clearance.

In addition, the refinery recently awarded a tender to a Turkish company to supply Jordan with 250,000 new gas cylinders.

“We expect to receive the new gas cylinders from Turkey during the first two months of 2015. This will help meet the rising demand on gas cylinders, especially with the influx of large numbers of Syrian refugees,” Maharmeh said.

According to JPRC, demand for gas cylinders stands at about 100,000 per day, while in winter it reaches 170,000 to 180,000.

“We are capable of supplying 220,000 gas cylinders per day if the need arises,” Maharmeh added.

Hamed underlined the need to be well prepared to face rising demand for all types of fuel in winter.

During the tour, he noted that some 650,000 new gas cylinders have either reached the local market or are en route to Jordan, to meet the rising demand.

The minister toured the refinery’s various facilities and was briefed on its plans to use solar energy for power generation.