Brazilian fuel authorities close, sanction fuel stations including one for ‘infidelity’
Authorities from the state energy regulator ANP along with local town authorities and police closed five stations in Sao Paulo and arrested two suspects during an operative carried out March 10-13 to detect irregularities which could merit a closing and among the affected fuel retail stations is one which was found guilty of ‘flag infidelity’.
One location in Diadema was selling gasoline and ethanol outside allowed specifications and two people were arrested in the site. Another in Itaquera was also selling fuel outside specifications.
One other location was found guilty of a practice locally known in industry jargon as “low pump” (which is a pump calibrated to dispense smaller volumes than what is registered).
One station was found guilty of ‘flag infidelity’ which “occurs when a location associated with a distributor buys fuel from another”. Another was a “white flag” station which was “wrongly exhibiting” the flag of a distributor, ANP said.
