The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has received its second-ever crude cargo from Ghana. This move signals a strategic pivot in the company’s supply chain.
The refinery is reducing crude purchases from Europe. Instead, it is adjusting its intake ahead of major scheduled maintenance.
Industry tracking data shows the latest shipment arrived in November. It carried Ghana’s Sankofa grade. This marks only the second time the massive refinery has sourced feedstock from its West African neighbor.
The arrival reinforces a key expectation. The refinery will likely prioritize domestic Nigerian grades and regional West African supplies as it stabilizes operations.
Focus on Local Crude
Data from Kpler reveals that crude arrivals averaged approximately 380,000 barrels per day (bpd) between September and November. This represents a 30 percent drop compared to peak volumes purchased in July and August.
In November, Nigerian grades dominated the refinery’s receipts. These included:
- Bonny Light (predominantly)
- Amenam
- Forcados
- Utapate
- Qua Iboe
The Ghanaian Sankofa cargo was the only notable non-Nigerian exception.
The refinery has shifted away from European barrels, particularly from the North Sea. This decision allows for shorter voyage times and flexible scheduling during operational adjustments.
Major Maintenance and Production Cuts
The decline in crude intake is directly linked to extensive maintenance work.
- RFCC Shutdown: The Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) unit began a major two-month shutdown on December 4. It is crucial for petrol production and is scheduled to restart on February 1, 2026.
- CDU Outage: A one-week outage for the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) is scheduled for late January.
Consequently, petrol output at the refinery will likely fall toward 80,000 bpd. This is down from recent levels of 100,000–130,000 bpd. Production will rely solely on the Reformer and Isomer units during this period.
Surge in National Imports
Tightening domestic supply has triggered a ripple effect in Nigeria’s downstream market.
To fill the gap, national petrol imports nearly doubled in November. They reached roughly 300,000 bpd, the highest level in over a year. Most of these volumes come from Europe, particularly the Netherlands and Belgium.
Dangote Assures Festive Supply
Despite reduced output, Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Industries Limited, issued a firm assurance. He promised fuel availability for the holidays.
He pledged that the refinery would supply 1.5 billion litres of petrol monthly to the Nigerian market in December 2025 and January 2026. This aims to prevent scarcity.
“In line with our commitment to national well-being… the Dangote Petroleum Refinery will supply 1.5 billion litres of PMS to the Nigerian market this month,” Dangote stated. “This represents 50 million litres per day.”
He further promised to increase this supply to 1.7 billion litres (60 million litres per day) in February.
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