Section 10: Petroleum Inspectorate.

(1) There shall be established a department to be known as the Petroleum Inspectorate which shall, subject to the other provisions of this Part, be an integral part of the Corporation.
(2) The Minister may delegate to the Alternate Chairman (where one is appointed) or the chief executive of the Inspectorate such of the powers conferred upon him under the Oil Pipelines Act, the Petroleum Act or any other enactment as he may deem necessary and in particular, but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, responsibility for the following matters, that is-
(a) issuing permits and licences for all activities connected with petroleum exploration and exploitation and the refining, storage, marketing, transportation and distribution thereof; and
(b) acting as the agency for the enforcement of the provisions of the said Acts and any relevant regulations made thereunder by the Minister;
(c) carrying out such other functions as the Minister may direct from time to time,
and notwithstanding the foregoing, any regulatory function conferred on the Minster pursuant to the said Acts or any other enactment shall, as from the appointed day, be deemed to have been conferred upon and may be discharged by the chief executive of the Inspectorate.
(3) In the exercise of the powers conferred upon the chief executive of the Inspectorate under this Act, he shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority in the Corporation except the Minister.
(4) For the avoidance of doubt, the Inspectorate shall not exercise any commercial functions in respect of any activities of the Government of the Federation relating to the petroleum industry.