CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The invention of internal engines gave rise to the need for fuel consumption in our present day. The increase in automobile ownership resulted in a greater demand for filling stations. A filling station can be described as a fuel station outlet where motorists, cyclists, industrial fuel-users, commercial fuel-users and Domestic fuel users purchase fuel of various forms for use. At these outlet, three major fuels stand out, which are PREMIUM SPIRIT (PMS), DIESEL (AGO) and KEROSENE (DPK). The premium spirit is used by motorists whose engines are designed for it, the diesel by diesel-engine automobiles and the kerosene mostly by domestic user at their various houses.
As of 2007, there were 9,271 petrol stations in the U.K, down from about 18,000 in 1992. the U.S.A had 12, 446 filling stations (gas stations) in 2000 according to the census. In the Canada, the number on the decline to about 14,000. In the following countries numbers of stations are rising. Turkey- 12,139 petrol stations (2008), -8,200 petrol stations (2008), South Africa -6,500 petrol stations, Kenya -1,300 petrol stations, Tazania -1000 and Malawi - 500 [from internet: filling station – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia].
As the demand for fuel consumption around the world increases, the need to build more filling stations in various forms and types becomes inevitable. As a result of these development, the name “MEGA FILLING STATION” resulted as one of the various forms and types of filling stations that sells fuel to the public. Other people may choose to call theirs MINI, MEDIUM or any other mane depending on what they have in mind as oil-marketers around the world. The point of interest to us here, is the MEGA FILLING STATION.”
1.1 A MEGA FILLING STATION
It can be described from its name- mega which means some thing bigger or larger in size. This implies that Mega Filling station is a large-scale fuel station outlets where fuels of various forms are sold. A typical example is the NNPC MEGA FILLING STATION around our various states in Nigeria. Each of the NNPC MEGA FILLING STATION has nothing less than twenty fuel dispenser pumps (Ten double nozzle dispensers) and the one in Abuja has twenty eight fuel dispensers pumps (fourteen double nozzle dispensers).
The NNPC mega filling station has a steel canopy, a 360 sqm shop building for Abuja (and 160 sqm for other states) with office and attendant’s room. The facility also has bullet proofed casher room, car workshop, sound-proofed generator house, a forecourt and perimeter fence.